Highschool DxD: A Temporal Reversion
by Mega Trainer
Summary: Issei is dying from Samael's curse and Ophis decides to give Issei a second chance. This is a time-traveling fic where Issei will relive the previous ten years of his life and fights new enemies and goes on new adventures. This is a rewrite of a fic from writer Gunmare. The harem continues!
1. Volume 1 Life 0

_**Hello hello everybody!**_

 _ **This is MT here and I hope everyone is having a gorgeous day!**_

 _ **Recently I had read a Highschool DxD fanfic by Gunmare but I was disappointed when he decided to reboot it. I decided to contact him and find out if I could take the serious and I'm happy to say that he agreed and is helping me out!**_

 _ **If you all want to check out his original story feel free to go to Gunmare's page and look at the story called Highschool DxD: A Second Chance.**_

 _ **This story will basically be his story but in my writing style though there will be some SIGNIFICANT changes to the story line as I didn't like some of the things he did in his story.**_

 _ **Anyways, for the summary:**_

 ** _NOTE: LN SPOILERS_**

 ** _Issei is dying from Samael's curse after saving Ophis. Ophis decides to give Issei a second chance and transports his spirit back in time, ten years, so he can relive his life and prepare for the future. Many hardships will befall Issei and he will change many of the dilemmas that befell his friends before he met them._**

 ** _So did that summary interest you? I hope it did. This chapter doesn't have a lot of meat (sadly) but next chapter will begin the epic saga._**

 ** _Well, before I keep rambling, ENJOY!_**

* * *

 _Issei POV_

Shalba…he's finally dead…Rias…my comrades…I can go back to them now right…?

[Partner! Hold on!]

I could feel the pain disappearing….Samael's curse is disappearing…that's good…right?

[Issei, Azazel and the others are going to open the Dragon Gate. You have to make it then so we can go home!]

I know, Ddraig…I wonder, though…what's the first thing I should do…?

"You will never make it," said Ophis in a monotone voice. My eyes moved weakly and I could see her out of the corner of my vision.

"Of course…I will…" I breathed out, weakly. "I still haven't taken Rias' virginity…or Akeno's…and I need to protect…Asia…from those lecherous bastards…"

"Those girls mean a lot to you," said Ophis, plainly. I smiled, weakly, as I remembered their faces before coughing up a blob of blood.

"I also…have dreams…goals…" I said, weakly. Ophis nudged me on, seeming curious. "Sairaorg, Kiba, Saji…Vali…I have to surpass them…my rivals. I have to…become the ultimate pawn…! I even want to…master the Dividing Gear…Of course my greatest dream is…to create a harem!"

My image of Ophis began to blur and I couldn't feel anything anymore. I was still laying on a chunk of the ground which was floating in the Dimensional Gap.

"Hey…Ophis…you don't seem like a bad person…so why…did you create the Khaos Brigade?" I asked, wondering what someone like her had in mind. I could just barely make out a puzzled expression from my blurred view of Ophis and I coughed up some more blood before continuing. "Asia…Irina…you saved them…"

"I was merely returning the favor," said Ophis, plainly.

"They…are some of my important friends…I came to save you…out of thanks for saving them…Why did you join them?" I said, weakly. Everything was starting to feel cold.

"I created the Khaos Brigade so that I could receive aid with my goal. Everyone who joined was forced to swear an oath to aid me in defeating Great Red," explained Ophis.

"So…when Great Red was defeated…you would just leave…?" I asked. Ophis responded with a simple 'Yes' and I continued. "They would never keep their oath…They just took advantage of you…and your snakes…"

"It doesn't matter to me as long as they are able to beat Great Red so I can return home," said Ophis while shrugging. I smiled and could feel the blood running down the side of my face.

"The Dimensional…Gap…means a lot to you," I said, weakly.

"That's why I came to the Sekiryuutei's home. I believed there was something there that could help me fulfil my dream and discover the secret behind the 'True Dragon' and 'Heavenly Dragon' that lies within you which would also help me find the reason why I, myself, exist," explained Ophis, confusing me. I was never really good with all the complicated explanations.

"…I understand," I began, smiling. Ophis was so pure and the Khaos Brigade just took advantage of her purity. She was just a figurehead to the organization. I began to feel sleepy and my eyes drooped a bit. "Hey…Ophis…do you want to…become my friend?"

"…Friend?" said Ophis in a surprised tone. "How would I benefit from being your 'friend'?"

"I could be someone…you could talk to…like about your home…" I said.

"I see. That would be fun," said Ophis in her usual monotone voice.

"Hey…Ophis…when we go back…come and live with me…and the others," I said, smiling, weakly.

"With the Sekiryuutei?" asked Ophis, curiously. I nodded while smiling and I could just hear her get up and walk over to me.

"I would very much like that...but you won't make it," said Ophis, kneeling next to my head. My brow scrunched up and I muttered 'I have to' several times but she continued. "You won't make it until the gate opens."

My life began to flash before my eyes and frowned. Was this the end?

[Issei…Partner…] I could hear Ddraig crying. This wasn't his usual grief cry from the Oppai incidents but a true cry of sadness. [You…You were the best partner I ever had. You made the most impossible things possible. Even with the grief your perverted nature gave me, you never ceased to amaze me. Please don't die, Partner…I don't want to leave your side…]

"I can tell you are greatly loved by everyone, Sekiryuutei. Even Ddraig. I know everyone would be sad if you died. You are a really nice guy, though perverted," said Ophis.

"Call me Issei…since we're friends now…" I said, weakly.

"Issei…my friend," she said, gently. She leaned in close enough that I could feel her breath on my face. "Hey…Issei…I have a question before you die."

"Alright…" I said.

"What if I said I could send you and Ddraig back ten years with your current memories?" asked Ophis. I became confused by what she said. Back in time? Well, I kind of know…

"Well…I would get…a lot stronger…take martial arts classes…and visit the youkai in Kyoto. I'd also visit…Akeno's shrine…and meet all the people I…could have met earlier…" I said, thinking of all the people I might leave behind if I died.

"Alright," said Ophis before hopping to her feet and stretching. I said 'Huh' and she was unfazed by what I said. "I'm sending you and Ddraig back now, are you ready?"

[Ophis, do you know what will happen to you if you do that?]

"I'll still exist in the past even I send your souls back then. This will be my first time performing such a spell and I know for a fact it will rebound. There is a high possibility those close to your heart will retain their memories of the future," said Ophis, calmly. "Issei, are you ready for this?"

"Yes…!" I said with as much energy as I could muster.

"Alright…hey…Issei…will you really keep your promise to me, that is being my friend?" asked Ophis.

"I promise," I said before coughing up some more blood. I could just make out a smile on Ophis' face and magic circles appeared around her.

"And when the time comes…you will save me again?" said Ophis, hopefully. I smiled and breathed out an 'Of course' before she smiled. Goodbye, Issei."

"I'll…see you again…Ophis. I promise," I said, even weaker than prior. My consciousness finally drifted away but instead of the dark abyss I expected, a radiant light headed my way and lit up the darkness.

* * *

 ** _So? What did you guys think?_**

 ** _Please Review and let me know what you thought of the first chapter and how you feel about the idea of the story!_**

 ** _I hope to see many of you in the coming chapters and until next time...byeee :D_**


	2. Volume 1 Life 1

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I'm absolutely amazed by how much popularity this story has accumulated in the mere 15 hours since I first posted it up. I decided to post up another chapter just because!**_

 _ **As for the current Reviews, the length of the chapters will be mostly based on the length of Gunmare's chapters so if he has a long chapter, I'll have one as well.**_

 _ **For Issei's power, I plan to make it more progressive but his power will seem OP compared to the known villains, but the ones in this story will be on a totally different level.**_

 _ **As for Akeno and Issei's meeting, that was like my favorite part of Gunmare's story! How could that Reviewer want me to destroy it!**_

 _ **Anyways, here is the new chapter, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.1**

 _Beep Beep Beep_

I groaned as the alarm clock woke me from my sleep and I clutched my head. I had a painful headache. It must have been because of the alarm clock.

I stretched my arm over to turn off my alarm clock, not bothering to open my eyes, but for some reason I couldn't reach it. I cracked my eyes open and sat up and reached over to my nightstand to turn off my alarm, annoyed that I had to deal with anything after just waking up. I yawned a stretch before I realized something. My room…it was just like before the Gremory family rebuilt it!

"W-What? What happened to my room?" I asked, confused.

[Partner…] said a familiar voice, awkwardly, in my head.

 _Ddraig! At least something is normal. What's going on? Where's Rias and the rest?_

[Partner, do you have a mirror in your room? You should probably go look in one] said Ddraig, awkwardly.

I put on a confused expression but got up from my bed to look for a mirror. As I walked over to it I spoke.

"I don't really understand why I need to see a mirror, Ddr- WAH! I'm a mini-me!" I shouted, jumping back after I saw my reflection.

[Ophis sent us back in time, if you remember. She sent us back 11 years, though. I don't really understand why one more year] explained Ddraig. I stared, wide-eyed, at the mirror. S-So I really _did_ almost die after my fight with Shalba? Dammnit!

"And the reason why it was eleven years…did something go wrong with the spell?" I asked, hoping Ddraig knew something.

[She probably put too much power into the spell. It's not surprising since she said she had never done it before. Also, remember that she said some people might remember you, Partner] said Ddraig. My eyes widened as I remembered Ophis' words. If they're close to my heart then there is a chance some people might remember the future. Meaning Rias and Akeno and Asia might remember me! [Also, Partner, there's something you should probably know.]

"What is it, Ddraig?" I asked, concerned by what he was going to say.

[Well, you're basically useless right now. Since your body is just a fragile human, you can't use Balance Breaker nor can you use any of the power you gained as a devil] explained Ddraig, causing me to slump down. Great, so I'm back to my useless, weak self. And after all the training I did as a devil. [Well, on the bright side, you no longer get power from breasts. Ah~, it's so refreshing to think about that~."

Oi, we beat a lot of enemies because of that, but at least now I won't have to put Ddraig through all that stress.

"I guess if that helps your health than I guess it's okay," I said as I sat down on my bed. Ddraig began to weep in happiness and I rolled my eyes.

[Yes! The curse of the Oppai Dragon is gone! And Albion won't be the Ketsuryuukou, either!] said Ddraig as he sobbed, happily. I could hear someone's voice echo in the background and Ddraig's sobbing halted. [Oi, shut up! Oppai Dragon is gone so stop with that 'Zoom Zoom iyann'.]

Ah! It must be my senpais in the Boosted Gear! I should probably ask them for help since my body isn't strong enough to use the Sacred Gear. They could probably train me to use it.

"Issei! Hurry down for breakfast or your father is going to eat it all!" shouted my mother from downstairs. I quickly changed and ran downstairs and found my breakfast sitting on the table while my father was reading his newspaper. "Good morning, honey."

"Morning, mom, dad," I said as I began to eat my food.

"Anything planned for today, kiddo? I assume you're going to see Irina since she's leaving today, right?" asked my father, making my eyes go wide. That's right! Irina leaves the country today! I have to hurry or else I'm going to miss her. She might be one of the people who remembers me.

I began to scarf down my food after remembering that and my mother scolded me.

"Issei! You are going to choke on your food. Eat slowly. You have plenty of time before Irina leaves," said my mother. I pouted and slowed down my pace until she was satisfied.

[Considering how your parents are acting, it seems they don't remember you] said Ddraig, causing me to sigh.

 _I'm not surprised, I never really saw eye to eye with my parents after a certain day._

[After you became a pervert?] asked Ddraig. I grinned and replied with a simple 'Yes' causing Ddraig to sigh in annoyance.

"Aside from seeing Irina, Issei, you know that school is coming up soon, right? Is there anything you're planning on joining? I don't want you just lounging around after you get back," said my father. I paused my eating as I thought. I had planned on getting stronger so I thought I'd maybe join kendo so I could properly use Ascalon but I had yet to put a lot of thought into it.

[Partner, I have a suggestion] said Ddraig, catching my attention. [Why don't you learn some kind of hand-to-hand combat? I'm sure there is some kind of class you could join.]

 _That's a great idea! I was always so useless when I couldn't use my Balance Breaker and even while I used it, I didn't have any kind of fighting style. Sairaorg was one who showed that I had a particular weakness not knowing any martial arts._

"I think I'm going to join one of the martial arts clubs," I said as I continued to eat. I peeked at my father to gauge his reaction and he continued to look at the paper as he picked up his coffee.

"Martial arts? Oh that sounds good. Very good," said my father, absentmindedly. Just as he began to drink his coffee, he seemed to have processed my words and he spit it out all over my mother's face just as she was setting his food down.

"My face!" screamed my mother before running over to the sink to splash some cold water on her face that was now burning from the hot coffee.

"Y-You want to go into martial arts?!" shouted my father in surprise, not even realizing what he had just done to his wife. You idiot! Do you know what you just did to your wife's face?!

"Yeah…why?" I asked, wondering what he was going to say with a scowl.

"You know that martial arts classes are expensive, right?" asked my father. I nodded and turned when I heard my mother sit down at the table. She glared over at my father and grinned, evilly, when a thought crossed her mind.

"I think it would be a _great_ idea to let Issei join martial arts," said my mother. I sweat-dropped, knowing she was just angry, but accepted it nonetheless. My father shrunk down in his chair and attempted to reject it with a 'We can't afford it' but my mother merely glared more fiercely. "I could easily get part-time job, _dear._ Either ways, I have a friend who owns a dojo downtown."

My father and I looked at my mother in surprise and she explained that one of her high school friends married an old MMA fighter and they opened a dojo together. She even said that her friend had suggested Issei learn martial arts earlier but she had refused because she thought it would be too violent.

I finished up my breakfast and told my parents I was going to go see Irina and was out the door before they could respond.

[Well, that's out of the way] said Ddraig, happy things went our way. I nodded and walked down the street to Irina's house and saw the huge moving truck parked in the driveway. Irina's parents and some of the movers were loading all sorts of things into the truck and I ran over.

"Oh my, Issei-kun," said Irina's mother after she noticed me. She smiled, happy to see me, but continued to help load the truck.

"Did you come to see Irina before she leaves?" asked her father. I nodded, sharply, and he smiled. "Why don't you go up to her room and play for a little while. We have plenty of time before we have to leave."

I smiled and ran inside before quickly climbing the stairs. I walked over to her room and peeked inside to find Irina packing her things into bags.

"Hey," I said, smiling a bit bitterly. I was going to have to experience her leaving for the second time and it made me kind of sad to think about. Irina turned around and smiled an equally bitter smile.

"Hey Issei-kun…" said Irina, sadly.

"So…" I said, sheepishly, not really knowing what to say. She smiled at me, sheepishly, also unaware of what to say, but I couldn't think of anything.

[Partner, aren't you going to find out is she remembers anything?] asked Ddraig.

 _Of course! But where could I possibly start?_

Ddraig gave me a suggestion and I smiled.

 _That might work._

"Hey, Irina, I had weird dream the other night," I said, going with Ddraig's plan.

"A dream?" she said, confused by the strange topic. I nodded while smiling and she continued to listen.

"Yeah, in it you were an angel. You had white wings and a glowing halo," I explained. Irina stared at me for a moment and her face contorted in confusion.

"But I don't want to be an angel," she said, annoyed.

 _Eh?_

[Eh?] said Ddraig. Both of us were very confused by what she had said.

"B-But angels are pure and good. A-And you're becoming a follower of God just like your dad," I said, trying to convince her.

"But it's because of God that I'm moving away," said Irina with a sour expression. "I just wanted to stay here and go to school with Issei-kun and I love it here. I don't want to leave."

Irina had tears streaming down her face and I frowned.

[It seems she doesn't remember us after all] said Ddraig, calmly, and I sighed. This might've been a good thing. When Irina and I had reunited as friends in the present, she told me how she hated the private school she was forced to go to as a child.

"A-And my parents are even sending me to some private school when we get up there for Catholics. I just wanted to go to a normal school," said Irina, sniffling.

[Issei…] said Ddraig.

 _I know._

I walked up to Irina and gently stroked the top of her head.

"Eh?" said Irina, confused.

"It's going to be okay Irina," I said, smiling brightly. "Remember that we heroes don't cry, no matter what."

"H-Heroes? What?" said Irina, confused.

"Yeah, we're heroes! And the number 1 rule for heroes is that they never cry!" I said, a bright smile on my face.

"B-But I won't ever see you again," said Irina, sadly. I sighed and put out foreheads together.

"That's another rule for heroes. We never say goodbye," I said, a refreshing smile on my face. I could see her tears stop and my smile brightened. "Heroes will always come back together. As long as we stay heroes we'll meet again, I promise."

"You pinky promise?" asked Irina before holding out her pinky. I smiled at her and grabbed her pinky with my own.

"Or cross my heart and hope to die," I said as I made an X-shape on my chest. She smiled, brightly, and jumped to her feet.

"Issei-kun! Let's go to the park and play superheroes one more time!" shouted Irina, happily. I smiled and nodded in agreement before we both ran out. We went and got our respective mothers and went over to the park to play and on the way I received a massive headache.

Ever since Ophis sent me and Ddraig back in time, I've been getting short headaches. The only explanation I could come up with was that it was a rebound effect and I just left it at that.

Irina and I arrived at the park and played for more than ten minutes before she excused herself to drink water. I leaned against the swing set as I waited for her and jumped when I heard the swing suddenly squeak as it moved. When I turned to look at it, my eyes widened and I couldn't believe who was sitting on the swing.

"Hello, Issei," said a familiar, monotone voice.

"O-Ophis?!" I shouted surprised.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Before I just completely butcher it, I would like some help with the honorifics for the known characters. If I put the wrong honorific for like it should be Issei-san instead of Issei-kun and vice versa, please feel free to let me know!**_

 _ **Please Review and let me know how I'm doing and until next time...byeee :D**_


	3. Volume 1 Life 2

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I'm amazed at how much this story blew up from just the first two chapters! All of Gunmare's old fans, thanks for giving my redo a chance!**_

 _ **Also, sorry if it seems like a copy so far, and it won't change a whole lot this chapter, but the beginning doesn't really need to change until Issei sees Akeno. The changes will begin to progress from there and hopefully my story will diverge completely from his.**_

 _ **Also, sorry if this chapter is a bit short but I'm not feeling the best right now.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.2**

"O-Ophis…?" I said in shock. Said dragon god continued to swing on the swing set as if it was completely normal for her to be there.

"Happy to see you again, Issei. It seems the spell did work," said Ophis in her usual monotone voice. "Sorry about sending you back an extra year. The spell wasn't stable enough."

"It's alright, I'm just glad it worked at all," I said, relieved to see the little dragon god.

"How is your connection with Ddraig? Because of the fact that you hadn't connected with him until later on, I was worried you might not be able to communicate with him," said Ophis, curiously.

[I'm here, Ophis. Issei came back with all his memories, as well as my own, intact] said Ddraig, reassuringly. Ophis nodded and continued to swing back and forth.

"W-Well, not that it bothers me or anything, but what exactly are you doing here, Ophis?" I asked, curiously. Ophis stopped her swinging and looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Obviously I came to explain the effects of the time-traveling spell," said Ophis as if it obvious. "One of the rebound effects is going to manifest as headaches for you."

 _Headaches? Ah! So that's why I've been getting so many of them._

"Ise-kunnnn!" called a familiar voice. I spun around and saw Irina in the distance, using her hands as a megaphone so I could hear her better.

"Ophis, do you want to come back with me to say hi to Irina?" I asked, curiously. Ophis responded with a simple 'No' and Irina called out to him again. "Ophis, you know where my house is right? We should meet up there."

"I do, however, Issei, something terrible has happened to your home," said Ophis, seriously but still in her monotone voice. "Someone has replaced it with a shabby little two story house. I suspect Great Red did it. We should dispose of him immediately."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the dragon god's notion and sighed. I muttered out a 'Just go' and waited towards Irina who was shouting at me to hurry up. After I reached her, Irina eyed me, quizzically.

"Issei-kun, who was that girl?" asked Irina, suspiciously. I jumped back, surprised by the angry expression on Irina's face and laughed awkwardly.

"S-She's just a friend. She visited my a few days ago," I said in defense. Irina eyed me and then squinted.

"What day?" she asked causing me to sweat a bit.

"U-Uh…today is Monday? Right? So…um…last…Wednesday?" I said, nervously, not wanting to incur the wrath of the little redhead. Irina thought for a moment and sighed.

"Last Wednesday, huh? I was out of town that day," said Irina in defeat. I smiled, happy I had pulled off my lie until Irina frowned and her eyes became glassy. "Issei-kun is going to replace me with that Gothic Lolita skank?"

 _Skank? Did Irina just call Ophis a skank? Uwah! She's really depressed now!_

"Um…um…I-Irina, I'm not replacing you with her. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about her before," I said, trying to make Irina feel better. I remember someone once told me that I should consider the girl's feelings so I thought I'd try to make Irina feel better. Irina sniffled and muttered out a 'You should have' and I patted her head in reassurance. "Today's our last day together, let's not let this ruin it."

"Yeah," said Irina in her usual happy voice as she knew I was right.

* * *

Irina and I as well as both our mothers walked back to Irina's house and I helped her pack up the rest of her stuff and take it down to the moving truck. Irina's parents were both ready in their car and were giving Issei and Irina a moment to say their final goodbyes.

"So…" I said, unsure of what to say in this goodbye. Irina smiled at me, happy we were able to have a nice last day together. "Hey Irina, stand still for a minute…"

Irina's face contorted in confusion but she did as she was told and I quickly leaned in to give her a kiss on her cheek. When I pulled away, Irina's eyes were wide and a bright blush streaked across her face.

"I-I-Issei-k-kun?" stuttered Irina, shocked by my sudden action. I smiled at her and grabbed her hand.

"That was a goodbye present so you won't forget me before we meet again," I said, happily. Irina merely stared at me before she was broken from her trance by her parents calling her. I released her and she ran to the car and waved to me from the window before they drove off to the airport to catch their flight to England.

* * *

I walked into my room a little while after Irina left and looked around. Ophis was nowhere to be found and I sighed.

 _She must have gotten lost._

I hopped onto my bed, not in the mood to search for the petit dragon god at the moment, and heard a distinct 'Oomph' form underneath my bed. My eyebrow creased in confusion and I leaned over the side of my bed to peek underneath. There I found Ophis, rubbing her stomach, tenderly. She looked over at me and wore a satisfied smile.

"I've been hiding for almost 3 hours," said Ophis, victoriously.

 _Oi, what kind of victory did you get for doing that?! I was worried about you, you know._

"Get out of there," I said before rolling back onto my bed. Ophis slithered out from under my bed and then crawled on top of it and sitting down with her legs crossed. We stared at each other for a few moments and I deadpanned. "Rebound effect."

"Ah, yes," said Ophis, calmly. I sighed in annoyance but she continued as if nothing happened. "Well, you have probably already seen the rebound effects of the spell. For example, the spell's instability sent you back an extra year. One of the other effects has to do with the people close to your heart."

"Oh, yeah, I remember you said that they might remember me!" I said, energetically.

"Issei, you said you've been having headaches, right?" asked Ophis, receiving a nod from me in response. "Alright, well I found out that there are 15 people who will remember you after certain things trigger their memory. So until that trigger is activated, they have no idea who you are."

I kind of understood what Ophis meant by that. It was like their memories were locked in a safe and he needed to find the key to open it.

"I thought that, even though I was the spell caster, wouldn't remember you immediately, however it seems that wasn't the case," explained Ophis, relieving me a bit. At least she didn't have any problems. "Generally, the way you know that someone remembers you is because you have a massive headache which the person who remembers you also gets. So the fact that you had a headache means…"

"Then someone remembered me!" I said, suddenly, finally understanding what Ophis was talking about. She nodded and I began to think. Who in the world could have remembered me so quickly? "Do you know who it is, Ophis?"

"No," said Ophis, bluntly. "However, Issei, there is something you should know. Just because they were close to your heart doesn't mean that you had a positive relationship with them. One of the people who remembered you could be one of your enemies and he may come and try to kill you while you are in a weakened state."

I paled at her words. Cao Cao, Shalba, the evil dragons, Kokabiel, Raynare… All of them would have liked nothing more than to kill me. If any of them remembered while I was in this state…

"Issei," said Ophis, breaking me from my thoughts. "I'll protect you."

"O-Ophis?" I said, confused.

"You and your friends protected me before and I am going to return the favor," said Ophis, seriously.

[I'll help too, Partner] said Ddraig, making me look at my left arm.

"You, too, Ddraig?" I said in disbelief.

[Of course, Partner. We even have Ascalon to help us fight] said Ddraig.

 _Oh yeah, of course. We have Ascalon so that will help us- Wait WHAT?!_

"W-Wait, WHAT?! How do we still have Ascalon?" I shouted in surprise.

[It came back with us since it was stored in the Boosted Gear] said Ddraig as if it was obvious.

 _Wow, I wish I had known that before. I hope I'd still be able to join kendo._

"Anyways, we should probably rest. It's been tiring for both of us," said Ophis, calmly.

"Yeah," I said. Ophis crawled under the covers and I followed suit, both of us facing opposite directions. We quickly fell asleep afterward and I realized that night that sleeping with Ophis was going to be hard. This was because I found myself on the floor the next morning with a red foot mark on my back.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 ** _For those of you who read Gunmare's story, I took out the Heaven scene to put in a later chapter as I would like to have all of the faction leaders react to Issei's presence. It might be cool depending on what I think of._**

 ** _Anyways, please keep Reviewing and until next time...byeee :D_**


	4. Volume 1 Life 3

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **How's everyone doing?**_

 _ **Man this story blew up SOOOOO damn fast. I really wasn't expecting it.**_

 _ **Thanks so much for the support and the ideas are flourishing for this story!**_

 _ **Also, for this chapter, the deviation begins!**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.3**

 _Michael's POV_

"Ah~, heaven is so peaceful and beautiful just as my Lord left it," I said as I sat at my desk and watched the screens that showed each of the levels of heaven. I then looked down at the stack of papers on my desk and sighed, knowing that it would take me at least four or five days of constant working to go through all of them. I was just about to go through another report when one of my messengers ran into my office.

"Michael-sama! It's terrible! Ascalon has vanished!" shouted the messenger causing me to jump from my seat.

"Excuse me?" I said in shock. The holy sword that has the magnificent power of dragon slaying, Ascalon, was a very difficult sword since receiving it after St. George's death. It refused to be wielded by anyone, even myself, and it annoyed I and the other Seraphs. "Did you just say it disappeared?"

"Y-Yes, my lord. The guardian of the sword came to us when the sword suddenly began to glow and we watched it vanish into thin air. We can't even seem to locate it," said the messenger. I slapped my hands to my face and groaned. Oh Lord! Why did you create such a strange and free-spirited sword! "Michael-sama, do you think it's possible that Ascalon is with its new wielder? Its new wielder man have finally appeared!"

"…Yes, yes that may be a great possibility. We are unable to track a holy artifact if it merges with a person's spirit. We will have to wait until the person tries to wield it and track where they are then," I said, calmly. Another messenger ran in, looking even more distraught than the previous, and I sighed. "What is it Thomas?"

"Michael-sama! I-It's the other Seraphs! They require your assistance!" shouted Thomas. My eyes widened and I created a magic circle behind me before I disappeared through it.

* * *

I appeared on the other side of the magic circle and it faded away. I looked around and found myself in the seventh heaven where God's 'system' was located. The clouds in this place where golden and the overall energy was so holy that if any unholy object or person walked into this place they would be destroyed instantaneously.

"What could they be doing here? Is something wrong with the system?" I said before releasing my twelve golden wings and flying around in search of them. I found a small gazebo, where we usually met, very close by on a golden cloud and found Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael arguing about something. I flew down and landed on the steps of the gazebo before walking in. "What's going on?"

"Ah, Michael! Maybe you can talk some sense into them!" said Uriel, annoyed. I looked at him with a confused expression and he stared at me. "You couldn't have missed such an important thing could you? The system is acting up!"

"Pardon?! What could possibly be causing it to act up?" asked Michael, shocked.

"We believe something on Earth has influenced the system. We are unsure exactly what has caused it but believe someone or something has begun to awaken their powers. Whoever it is, though, is suppressing their powers," explained Raphael. "Also, the system isn't in any danger, Michael, so relax. It's still running as per usual but with a very minor anomaly."

I sighed in relief that my Lord's system was safe and then remembered something Uriel said when I first arrived.

"What exactly is the problem then? If we are unable to locate the cause of the anomaly and it isn't having any kind of dangerous effects then we should wait until said cause reveals itself," I said, wondering what they could be arguing about.

"Seeeeee~ I told you Michael would take my side! You're such a dummy Uriel!" said Gabriel in her usual upbeat attitude. I could see Uriel frown and cross his arms and sighed.

"I'm just saying, if there is someone or something that can have this kind of effect on the system then they are a threat and should be dealt with," said Uriel, annoyed.

"Of course, but how per say do you expect to find them? If you would like to attempt to discover the cause of this anomaly then please do so, Uriel, but do not let it affect your ability to perform your duties," I said, calmly. Uriel glanced at me and nodded.

"If all is settled then I will return to my position in the fourth heaven to guard Eden," said Raphael before releasing his fiery 10 wings and disappearing in the distance. Uriel left to begin his search and Gabriel decided to follow me back to my office to talk about the present situations.

Ascalon disappears and the system is having an anomaly…why do I feel like this is connected?

* * *

 _Rias' POV_

"Sirzechs-sama! Lady Grayfia has gone into labor!" shouted one of the servants after barging into my room while Onii-sama and I were playing chess. Onii-sama literally dropped his Queen piece after hearing that and it knocked a bunch of the pieces on the board over, some even falling to the floor. He all but leapt out of his seat, knocking it over, and squeaked out a high pitched 'What?'.

"Oi, oi don't get all panicky now. I told you to just relax and everything will go smoothly," said Souji-chan, Onii-sama's knight, as he walked past the servant and into my room. Onii-sama watched him walk over to him and smacked him on the back with a bright smile. "You should be more happy than anything! You're about to become a father! And you, little Rias, are about to become an auntie."

"A-Ah, yes! I want to see my baby nephew after Onii-sama says it's okay," I said, trying to hide the excitement I had for seeing my new baby nephew. I think I was as excited as Onii-sama when we found out Onee-sama was pregnant.

"Y'hear that 'Onii-sama'? If you don't go and see your newborn son and then tell little Rias here it's okay, you're gonna disappoint her," said Souji-chan after throwing an arm around Onii-sama's neck. Onii-sama visibly flinched at the thought of disappointing me and I sighed as he suddenly ran out of the room. Souji-chan gave me a thumbs up as he went after his King and I sighed before picking up the chess pieces and rearranging them on the board. I finished and walked out to ask one of the maids to please bring me a snack and I climbed onto my bed before pulling out a book about the rating games. My father and Onii-sama told me that I should start catching up on the ins and outs of the rating game so that when I can start participating in them I won't have any problems.

As I did so, I could feel a kind of energy emanating from my drawer. I wondered what it could be and thought about what I had in that drawer. I had all sorts of little magical tools my Onii-sama lent me since I always liked figuring out how they worked. I even almost blew up my room one time because I put too much demonic energy into one of the magical tools. It wasn't a fun experience having to explain it to mother and father.

I thought some more about what I had in that drawer and remembered that I had put my Evil Pieces in there until I needed them. I rolled to the edge of my bed and opened the door to see that the pouch I had them in was glowing. My forehead scrunched up in my confusion and I picked up the bag before carefully opening it. My Evil Pieces all suddenly flew out of the bag and began to float around me in a circle. I could clearly see my Queen piece in front of me and picked it out of the air with no resistance before putting it back in the pouch. I did the same thing with my two rooks, bishops, and knights. I didn't find anything odd until I reached my pawn pieces. Firstly, four of them were glowing a dull red, the way they do when they resonate with a person's soul before they enter the person's body. The other four, though were glowing a very bright crimson, one that might even put my hair to shame. Those four pieces also had red sparks coming off of them and I decided against trying to touch them for the moment.

Instead, I reached out to the dull glowing pieces and tried to pull it out of the air. I tugged and it didn't budge at all and I became confused. When it refused to move after another budge, I stood up on my bed and began to yank it hard, finally getting it to budge a bit. After several more budges, though, the red sparks on the crimson glowing pieces turned into lightning and shot through all the pieces, connecting them in a ring of lightning and startling me. I ended up falling down onto the bed and gasped when I saw what my pawns were doing. They formed a ring and began to spin around me at high speed, releasing lightning as they did so and causing small fires on my bed sheets and drapery. They finally stopped, suddenly, and their glowed dimmed significantly before falling down onto my bed as if nothing had happened. I looked down at the pieces, shocked by what had just occurred, and could do nothing but stare.

"Rias-sama, I've brought you your- Oh dear me what's going on in here!" shouted the maid who I had asked to bring me food. She ran over to my dresser and dropped the tray down before using water spells to douse the flames on my bed and drapery. "Rias-sama, what happened?!"

"I-I don't know," I said, still shocked. The maid saw me looking at my pawn pieces, which were still faintly glowing, and she turned and began to walk towards the door.

"I'm going to inform Gremory-sama. He may want to call Maou Ajuka-sama," said the maid as she exited my room. I picked up all of my pawns and looked at them, wondering what this strange and nostalgic feeling I was getting from them was. As I held them, I felt so safe and secure and I couldn't understand why. What was going on with my pawns?

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I got an idea from another fanfic and I plan on adding it to this story via God's system's anomaly. Also mixed in Ascalon's disappearance to be with Issei since the two work well together.**_

 _ **As for Rias' scene, I thought I should input it since I want to begin the strange happenings with Issei's pawn pieces.**_

 _ **Review to let me know what you guys think and any ideas you might think I should incorporate and until next time...byeee :D**_


	5. Volume 1 Life 4

**_Hey guys, MT here!_**

 ** _I just wanted to start out with, I'm sorry that I don't update as frequently as some other writers. I actually have two other stories running and I'm a college student with a lot of work so please do be patient. If I have time, I may put out the occasional double chapter but please do not rush me. Thank you for the understanding._**

 ** _On a side note, the deviations continue! Also, I will be taking out certain parts that I really didn't like/didn't understand why they were there just because of my own preference and, if you guys really miss it, I may incorporate it in a future chapter._**

 ** _Anyways, ENJOY!_**

* * *

 **Life.4**

 _Issei POV_

"Ah~! It's such a nice day~!" I said, happily, as I walked outside. The air was clean and the sky was clear on this summer day. Absolutely perfect for a date!

"Stop being so happy. It's strange," said Ophis as she continued to play on her (my) Gameboy. "Also, where are you going?"

"You know where I'm going, Ophis," I said, not understanding why she would ask when I had just told her the night prior. It took her a moment and then she said an elongated 'Ah' in her usual monotone voice, not looking away from the game's screen.

I rolled my eyes at her and, as I continued to get ready for my date, I remembered these last three years. Three years since I was given a second chance at life by Ophis. So much has changed and I understood what exactly our situation was like.

* * *

 ** _Three years ago…_**

"Issei, there are more rebound effects for you to know about," said Ophis, calmly. I looked at her, confused, and she continued on. "First of all, I have been split in two. I'm not sure why but I do know that my other half lacks the memories of you that I have."

"What? So then what is going to happen? Is the other half going to start up the Khaos Brigade as if nothing happened?" I asked, shocked. Ophis nodded and I sighed. Poor other Ophis. She is probably feeling so lonely like Ophis did before I became her friend.

"Issei," said Ophis, snapping me out of my thoughts. "I want to give you something."

Ophis took my hand and placed a ring in it before I could ask what she was going to give me. She then spoke before I could ask what it was.

"That ring was given to Sir Lancelot by his foster mother, the Lady of the Lake. It is a ring called the Ring of Dispel and, as the name suggests, can dispel things like enchantments. It can also dispel auras by suppressing their power, hence your Boosted Gear. This will protect you from being found out by any of your enemies that don't remember you," explained Ophis. I looked at the golden ring with a small clear white gem on it with interest. Such a small thing could suppress the huge power of the Boosted Gear. It was kinda cool. Then a question popped into my head.

"Wait…How did you get this ring, exactly?" I asked, curious.

"I took it when Lancelot died," said Ophis, simply. I sweat-dropped and stared at her.

"So you stole it?" I asked, rhetorically.

"Well he _was_ dead. He wasn't going to use it," said Ophis in defense. I muttered out a 'That doesn't make it any better' and sighed. "Anyways, there's another rebound effect that I am aware of. It has to do with people who were close to you but not of the chosen 15."

"Ah, is there a possibility they might have some memories of me too?" I asked, hopefully.

"No," said Ophis, simply, causing me to sigh in disappointment. "Instead, they will feel certain emotions based on how they were in relation to you. For example, if your master saw you, she might feel love or compassion towards you whereas someone like Shalba would feel fear or anger. This means you will have to be careful when you see your enemies because they won't underestimate you like they did before."

"Damn…" I said, kind of annoyed. One of the ways I defeated all those enemies was because of how much they underestimated me. It's just gonna be a lot harder now, isn't it?

* * *

 ** _Back to the present…_**

I was now on my way to a shrine in my town to see a familiar person.

"Ise!" shouted a familiar voice, bringing me from my thoughts and making me realize I had passed my destination. I stopped my bike and turned around to see I had just passed the entrance to the shrine. I backtracked and stopped in front of it to find a familiar girl with a familiar face. Well enough with the 'familiar's.

"Hey, Akeno," I said, a bright smile on my face as I waved to her.

"Ufufu, were you so distracted that you didn't know where you were?" asked Akeno, giggling to herself. I blushed, embarrassed that I had done such a thing but she didn't seem to mind much and invited me in.

I had come to see Akeno around two months after I was properly settled in being brought back in time. I started martial arts training, even passing by the kendo club in my school every once in a while to watch. When I came to see Akeno, it turns out that she was really shy when she was little. She ended up opening up to me after a little while but it was really surprising to see Akeno being so introverted. Well, that's in the past now.

"Ah, Ise-kun, how are you doing, today?" asked a gruff looking man. It was Baraqiel, his wings hidden of course. "Akeno told me you had a little tournament not long ago. How'd you do?"

"Very good, sir. The training you gave me helped a lot," I said, happily. Baraqiel chuckled a bit and patted me on the head.

"That's good, that's good. If I had more time I'd teach you more. By the way, 'sir' seems so formal. Why don't you just call me 'father'?" said Baraqiel, causing Akeno to turn beet red.

"F-Father! Stop it!" shouted Akeno before pounding her fists against her father, said man merely laughing in response. When Akeno finished her assault, she pouted before turning to me. "Ise, I have to change before we go so please wait a moment."

I nodded and Baraqiel and I watched her run off towards the shrine building.

"Say…Ise-kun," began Baraqiel not taking his eyes off of the door his daughter disappeared behind. "Can I ask what you think of Akeno?"

"What do I think? Well, Akeno's very nice and I care about her a lot," I said, without any doubt.

"That's good," said Baraqiel, quietly. "Now, this might be a bit pretentious of me, but can I ask you to please take care of her. I won't always be around and she could use someone sturdy like you."

I smiled at him after processing his words and nodded.

"You don't even need to ask," I said, happily. Baraqiel grinned at me and we both turned when we heard Akeno calling him out.

"Father, I hope you're not saying anything embarrassing again!" scolded Akeno, causing Baraqiel to burst out into laughter.

"Now, now, honey, I promise I won't embarrass you again. Take care of her, Ise-kun, she's quite a handful," said Baraqiel, laughing, as he walked off. After he was gone, Akeno caught my attention and she had her hands behind her, a slight tinge of red on her cheeks.

"W-Well, how do I look?" she asked. I gave her a once over and I couldn't help but do a double take and widen my eyes. She was beautiful. She was in a pale yellow sundress that ended just above her knees and she was wearing a big straw hat with a sunflower attached to it. Her hair was also down and I couldn't believe she had changed so quickly.

"Y-You're…beautiful," I said, a bit embarrassed to say it out loud. She blushed again and smiled at my words and we stood in silence for a few moments. "W-Well, we should probably get going."

"Y-Yeah," she said before we both left to get my bike and head off to town.

* * *

Akeno and I had gotten to downtown around 30 minutes later and were currently in a clothing shop.

"Akeno are you almost done trying on clothes?" I asked, tired of waiting for almost 20 minutes for the girl to try on clothes she liked.

"Ufufu, Ise would you like to come in and help me try them on?" asked Akeno after poking her head out from behind the curtain. The thought of helping Akeno change…touching her maturing body and the small curves which will develop into beautiful curves later on…just the thought is getting me so excited. "Ise~. Seems you have a bit of a nosebleed. Were you thinking somethin naughty?"

I tensed a bit, surprised she caught me so easily, and she proceeded to yank me into the changing room.

"A-Akeno, I can't be in here," I said, nervously, not wanting us to get kicked out of the store. When I turned to look at Akeno, she was in nothing but a bra and panties and I couldn't help but nosebleed, hard, and fly back into the wall before falling to the ground. Akeno pulled out a handkerchief and straddled my hips, still in nothing but her underwear, and grinned at me.

"Ufufu, Ise is so perverted. I wonder if I should keep teasing him," said Akeno, causing me to nosebleed a bit more. Oh no! I accidentally activated her S-mode and now she will probably keep playing with me until we get caught.

"Miss, are you alright? We heard a loud thump," said one of the sales girls from outside the room. Akeno's eyes widened a bit as she probably didn't want me to get in trouble for being in here with her.

"Yes, I just tripped but I'm alright," said Akeno as she put on her sundress. The sales girl muttered out an 'Alright' and I could see her shadow walking away from the room. "Ise, we should probably go."

"What about a dress?" I asked, kind of sad she wanted to just leave without getting anything. I felt bad because I thought it might've been my fault. Akeno looked at me for a moment smiled before placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Don't worry you didn't ruin anything. I didn't like how I looked in these dresses. Though I might model them for you sometime if you like," said Akeno, winking at me. I had to hold back a nosebleed so that we could properly escape from the store without being seen coming out of the same changing room.

We managed to get out just fine and decided to look for a place to get some food. I think a WcDonald's would do but we couldn't seem to find any.

As we walked, we passed an alleyway and could clearly see three punks, maybe a few years older than us, smoking in it. They looked over at Akeno with creepy eyes and I glared at them and grabbed Akeno's hand in an attempt to keep her with me as I increased my pace. Before we could get any more than a couple yards from the alleyway, I could feel a yank on my grip of Akeno's hand and spun around. One of the punks had grabbed Akeno's other arm and had stopped her from being able to continue with me.

"Hey, little cutie. Are you on a date with this little dumbass?" asked the punk who was grabbing her. She stared at him in surprise and attempted to pull her arm from his grasp to no avail. After a few moments of silence, he growled. "Hey, I'm talkin' to you."

The punk yanked her from my grasp and dragged her over to the alleyway with the other two punks.

"Ise!" shouted Akeno, stretching her free arm out to me. I ran into the alleyway after her and one of the punks had been waiting around the corner and kneed me, causing me to drop to the ground, clutching my stomach. "Ise, no!"

"Shut the hell up!" shouted one of the punks before striking Akeno across the head. Said girl fell to the ground and clutched her head in pain, a little bit of blood dripping down her forehead.

[Partner…] said Ddraig, knowing what I was about to do.

I didn't hear him, though, because I was _absolutely livid_. I got up and the punks looked over at me, probably ready to attack me. They wouldn't have a chance, though.

I removed my Ring of Dispel and shoved it into my pocket before releasing my Boosted Gear. Ophis had been helping me increase my energy reserves so that I could release it and by now I could use it just like when I became a devil.

 _[Boost!]_

"The fuck is that?" asked one of the punks, surprised by the sudden appearance of my Boosted Gear.

 _[Boost!]_

"The real question is where is that voice coming from?" asked one of the other punks. The punks all stared at me and I glared at them, causing them to stagger back a bit at the amount of pressure I was exerting.

"Ise…?" said Akeno, her face looking confused.

"W-What are you two doing?! Get him!" shouted the punk that was standing next to Akeno. The two punks closer to me hesitated for a moment before running over to me and attempting to punch me. I quickly ducked underneath their punches and smashed both my fists into their stomachs, launching them into the walls of the alleyway. The last punk stared at me, shocked, and I continued to glare at him. "W-What the hell are you?!"

"It doesn't matter! You hurt Akeno and you won't get away from here in one piece!" I said, angrily. I suddenly felt a powerful headache and it dissipated several moments later.

"Ufufu," both I and the punk heard. "Oh Ise, you've shown me your good side again."

Akeno got up to her feet and released her Fallen Angel wings, a sadistic smile on her face.

"A-Akeno?" I said, surprised. Did she finally remember me?

"Ufufu, I've missed seeing this side of you, Ise. It gets me so hot," said Akeno as she rubbed her lips with index and middle finger.

"F-Fuck this! You two are monsters or something!" shouted the punk who was still conscious. He began to run away from us, further down the alley, and Akeno looked over at him.

"Ufufu, that's so cute. You think you are going to escape," said Akeno as she created lightning in her hand. She shot the lightning at the punk, shocking him until he collapsed on the ground, spirals in his eyes.

I sweat-dropped as I watch Akeno gush over how the punk looked when she shocked him and I couldn't help but chuckle.

Well, today has been an interesting day.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I hope you enjoyed my little 'badass Issei' moment and I hope some of you were happy to have Akeno regain her memories!**_

 _ **I really wanted her to regain them in the original so I decided to have it happen here!**_

 _ **Let me know what you guys thought and until next time...byeee :D**_


	6. Volume 1 Life 5

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I'm really sorry for the lateness but on top of being overwhelmed by life and being a little bit sick, I got slowed down ALOT.**_

 _ **Anyways, I'm glad that the general reaction to Akeno regaining her memory, the first giant change in my story from Gunmare's, was good and I'm happy for the support! :D**_

 _ **Also, Issei is presently 9 years old to the person who said he was 10 because he was 17 when he went back in time and he went back 11 years. Three years have passed since so he is 9 now. It's not really that important to know, I just wanted to clear it up.**_

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.5**

Akeno and I left that alley just after she finished gushing about electrocuting that punk and we _finally_ found that WcDonald's that we had been searching for earlier. We ordered some food and sat down at one of the booths in the back so we could talk in peace.

"So, Akeno, I'm sure you noticed that we're kids," I began, causing Akeno to hum a 'yes' before taking another bite of her burger. "Well, the reason why is because I basically…died…and Ophis brought us back in time."

I said 'died' awkwardly because I thought it would upset Akeno and boy was I right. The moment the sentence ended I saw Akeno's eyes widen and she dropped her burger onto the table, not even bothering to close her mouth. I said her name a couple times to snap her out of it and, after receiving practically no response, I reached across the table and grabbed both of Akeno's hands in my own.

"Akeno, I'm alive and well. Please relax," I said, trying to bring her back. She blinked her eyes a few times before relaxing her body and tightly gripping my hands.

"S-So you actually died…fighting Shalba," said Akeno, her eyes becoming glassy.

"Please relax, Akeno. I'm okay now and I'm not going to let that happen again. Don't worry, I'll always be here," I said, seriously. I had noticed it as the girls got closer to me, that I was slowly becoming a pillar of support for them. For Akeno, this was especially true, especially when Akeno was trying to reconnect with her father. After her mother's death, her mind was actually really unstable and I ended up becoming one of the only things that could keep her even relatively stable. I can't imagine how she would be if I actually did die.

Akeno took a breath and relaxed before smiling at me. I released her hands, well at least one, and set them down atop the table.

"S-Sorry, Ise. A-Anyways, why did Ophis send you back so far? I thought she would just send you back a little bit of time before that happened," said Akeno, probably to change the subject.

"Well, she thought it would be better if I started training hard _before_ I became a devil. That way I would already have big reserves when I get reincarnated. Things need to stay relatively the same based on everyone else's timelines, though, or it might cause problems," I explained, Akeno nodding in understanding. I then remembered something as I thought about the current situation and I frowned and looked away.

"Ise? What's wrong?" asked Akeno, worriedly. I glanced up at her and gripped her hand more tightly.

"W-Well…It's just that I'm really sorry, Akeno. You're going to have to go through such a difficult time again because of me," I said, sad that she was going to have to deal with losing her mother for the second time. I glanced up at Akeno when she squeezed my hand and she was smiling, sadly, at me.

"It's alright, Ise. You'll be there for me so I'll be okay," said Akeno as she looked over at me. "Plus I'll have Rias to help me out too. Have you gone to see her yet?"

"Huh? N-No, she wouldn't remember me…plus she's in the underworld," I said, remembering my crimson haired girlfriend. Akeno smiled, perversely, at me and I felt a chill run up my spine.

"Ufufu, so I get to have little Ise all to myself? How…" said Akeno before sliding her fingers down her lips, sensually. "…Very for me."

"A-Ah…" I said, trying to think of a way to steer this conversation from leading to some obscene…thought I wouldn't mind if it did. "By the way, Akeno, normally to recover your memories, something had to have triggered it. Do you know what it was?"

"Hm? Ah, I kind of remember. I remember seeing you release your Boosted Gear and I felt like I had seen it before but I wasn't quite sure. It was after you said that since they had hurt me that you were going to beat them that everything flooded in and I got a headache. The fact that you reacted such a way when I was in danger made my heart skip a beat just like every time you protected us," said Akeno, happily. I smiled at her, happy that she was happy to have her memories back, albeit it might not be the best since she will have to experience a horrible memory all over again. "Now, we will have to make up for lost time, Ise."

"Eh?" I said, confused by what she was talking about. She looked at me lustfully and I gulped hard.

"After all, it's been three years without you experiencing my body Ise and since Rias isn't here, I'm going to be completely unopposed," said Akeno as she stared at me, perversely. I gulped hard again as I thought about it and had to hold back a nosebleed at the thought and…dammnit. Akeno was giggling at me and I'm almost certain I activated her S-mode because she has an expression like she gets when she is going to tease me. We should probably leave before things get above PG because I know neither I nor Akeno will try to keep it at that level.

* * *

Akeno ended up prodding me about everything that had happened so far and I explained everything from the different consequences of traveling back in time to what I've been doing in this time. She was pretty surprised when I told her Ophis was living with me and she asked why my parents never notice her but I don't really understand it either. She said she used some spell to make herself invisible to them or something like that.

As we spoke, we talked about what we were going to do about Rias and the others and I told her that she was going to need to go with Rias just as before. Afterward, I began thinking about Rias as well. How is she doing, I wonder?

* * *

 _Rias POV_

"I'm sorry, Rias. Your pawn pieces are more peculiar than I could have imagined," said Beelzebub-sama. As he said this, his eyes clouded with a mix of annoyed confusion and curious, he handed me a small pouch which I assumed contained my pawn pieces. It's been almost a month since my pawn pieces had react in such a way and I've been kind of worried. As soon as the maid had my father contact Beelzebub-sama, he came and took them. I was hoping he would come back with good news but it seems not.

"What is happening with my little sister's pieces, Ajuka?" asked Onii-sama. He had my new baby cousin, Millicas, in his arms and was rocking him as he slept. My Onii-sama ended up not being informed about my pawn pieces until a week later because my father thought it would be better for him to focus on Onee-sama and Millicas. When he did find out, he was very mad at father for hiding it from him but he let it go when I told him nothing happened to me.

"Ah, well, it seems that four of the pieces transformed into mutation pieces," said Beelzebub-sama, calmly. My Onii-sama's eyes widened and he had to stop himself from jumping up.

"Half of them?! How could that even happen?" asked Onii-sama, visibly flustered by the information.

"Do you think that's bad, Sirzechs? It isn't, actually. There is something else," said Beelzebub-sama, grinning deviously at Onii-sama. Onii-sama leaned forward in interest and Beelzebub-sama continued. "Every. Single. Pawn. Is. Owned."

Onii-sama's and my mouth both dropped open and I leapt up from where I was seated.

"They're already owned?!" I shouted in disbelief. Beelzebub-sama grinned and nodded and I stared, wide-eyed. "How is that even possible? Who could own them when I haven't even gotten any peerage yet?"

"I'm not sure but that does explain the reaction they had. The lightning was a combination of transforming into mutation pieces and the excitement of the energy in the Evil Pieces of being used in a reincarnation. The fact that they did so means that they are and, when I attempted to use one to reincarnate an animal, it completely rejected even me, their creator, from using them. Whoever owns these pieces is very powerful and has a tremendous potential. Possibly one that could be Maou-class or higher," explained Beelzebub-sama. Onii-sama and I gaped at the thought and I could help but wonder who in the world could be my pawn. My one and only…pawn…

I could see someone in my head, his face unrecognizable, and I wondered who it was. And why I felt so happy when I remembered him. This situation is so strange and frustrating!

As I was internally conflicting with this man who I didn't recognize, I felt a heat coming from the pouch with my pawns.

"Eh?" I squeaked before looking down at the pouch. It. Was. On. Fire. I quickly began to try and pat out the fire and put it out before pulling my pawn pieces from the slightly charred pouch.

"Rias, are you alright?" asked Onii-sama who had witnessed the sudden combustion.

"I'm alright, Onii-sama, but my pawn pieces are acting up again," I said as I looked at my pawn pieces. I was holding one of the mutated pawn pieces in my hand and it was glowing and releasing small red lightning.

"Rias, please be careful. You could injure yourself," said Onee-sama after walking up to me. She attempted to take the pawn piece from my hand before the lightning hurt me but I quickly spun around and ran away from her and towards Onii-sama.

"Onee-sama, wait. It doesn't hurt me," I said before looking up at her. She was staring at me confused and then down at the piece in my hand that was shooting little red lightning at my hand. It was clearly not burning or damaging my hand and she put on a confused expression.

"Hm…could it not be hurting you because of the feelings of the owner?" said Beelzebub-sama, attracting me to him. Before I could ask what he meant, he answered my question. "There is a rumor that the powers attained from and based off of Evil Pieces do not affect people who the owner of said Evil Pieces has very strong affection for. Essentially, if the owner is in love with someone, the pieces cannot harm them."

I blushed and looked down at my pawn, embarrassed that the owner of my pawn pieces might be in love with me and I didn't even know his name. I was snapped from my trance when I heard skidding on the ground and looked up to see Onii-sama standing in front of Beelzebub-sama and Onee-sama had a shocked look in her eyes as she found Millicas in her arms.

"W-W-What do you mean, Ajuka?! Someone is in love with my sweet little sister? Who is it?! I need to teach them a lesson," said Onii-sama, fire in his eyes. Beelzebub-sama sweat-dropped, as did I and Onee-sama, and we just chose to ignore him. Sometimes Onii-sama can be so stupid.

Aside from that, though, I'm still curious, actually more so than before. Four of my pawn pieces were mutated and all eight are owned. On top of that, the owner might have the potential for Maou-class power and he also might be in love with me. Who in the Heaven, Hell, or Earth is this person?!

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Akeno and Issei getting closer, Rias' complete confusion to her pawn pieces. Ah~ so much to deal with and only so little words a chapter.**_

 _ **Anyways, Review to let me know what you thought and until next time...byeee :D**_


	7. Volume 1 Life 6

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I'm really sorry for being absent for awhile but I had a lot of things to deal with. On top of being so sick I could barely function, going back home from college for Thanksgiving, and a death in my family I have had little time to write. Not to fear, though, because I'm finally starting winter break next week, meaning I will be writing more chapters!**_

 _ **Also, to compensate for missing 3 weeks, I wrote two chapters for today and will be doing the same next week!**_

 _ **Anyways, please ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.6**

 _Issei POV_

It's been a week since Akeno's memories came back and we were on a picnic date by the river. Akeno had made the food and she was currently trying to feed me.

"Come on, Ise. Say 'Ah'," said Akeno as she held out a spoon full of potato salad. I blushed in embarrassment but did as she said and she plopped the spoon into my mouth. After I closed my mouth, she pulled the spoon out and set it down on the plate she was feeding me from.

"Akeno, you've been a little weird today. You never do this kind of stuff," I said, a bit suspiciously. Her smiling face didn't flinch at my question and we were distracted by some rustling in the grass. We both turned to find a small squirrel coming out of the grass and stopping a bit away from us.

"Aw, it's so cute!" said Akeno, happily. She picked up some of the trail mix and crawled across the picnic blanket before dropping some nuts at the edge of the blanket. The squirrel, hesitantly, crawled over to the food, stopping to look at the two before continuing towards the food. It finally reached the food and began to nibble on one of the almonds, happily. Akeno gushed as she watched the squirrel and I smiled as I watched her. She seemed so happy and relaxed. I hope this can last because I'm not looking forward to seeing Akeno in pain.

The squirrel suddenly stopped eating and ran away, causing Akeno to frown at the loss of her new furry friend.

"It's alright, Akeno. He might come back- Ow!" I shouted, suddenly, when I felt something bite me. I turned around and found a black and purple snake biting my hand and I yanked it off and threw it. "Ah, my hand!"

I found two holes in my hand which were bleeding and I suddenly felt dizzy and fell back onto the blanket. Akeno crawled over to me, a deep frown on her face.

"Sorry, Ise. Today is _that_ day and Ophis and I decided it would be better if you weren't awake for it," said Akeno, sadly. My eyes widened as I realized what she was talking about and I clenched my teeth as I tried to force myself to move. "Ophis used her snake to paralyze and knock you unconscious. This will be the last time we see each other for a while."

Akeno leaned towards me and placed a deep kiss on my lips before pulling away.

"I love you, Ise. Stay safe until I see you again," said Akeno before getting to her feet. She released her Fallen Angel wings and flew away from me as my consciousness slowly faded away, my mind screaming in protest.

* * *

I awoke at sunset and could finally move my body properly. I groaned and sat up, clenching my fists in anger.

"Why?! Why didn't she tell me? I could have been there for her. She shouldn't have had to go through this alone," I said, angrily.

[Partner, calm down. You know we have to let this happen so she can meet your master] said Ddraig, catching my attention.

"I know! I still wanted to be there for her! And did you know about this? Why did you keep this a secret from me?!" I shouted, angrily.

"Issei, please do not be mad at Ddraig," said Ophis who came out from the trees nearby. I glared over at her and she sighed. "I asked Ddraig to keep it a secret from you. We both agreed that you wouldn't be able to control yourself when Akeno's mother's death came around and you would try to save her. If you did so, Akeno might not have been able to go over to your master."

"But-! I-I could have controlled myself. I just wanted to be there for Akeno when she lost her mother," I said, looking away from Ophis. I could see her pull something from her pocket and, on closer inspection, found it to be a small silver ring with a purple gem in the middle.

"Before you get too angry, I did do something. I extracted her mother's soul just after she died and placed it into the gem on this ring," said Ophis, causing my eyes to widen. "You care about the girl, correct? And I'm your friend and don't want to see you in pain from not being able to help her so I saved her soul. The Fallen Angel's organization, the Grigori, should have a form of cloning technology and, once we become friends with Azazel, he may be willing to use it to create a body for the soul of the girl's mother."

I smiled at Ophis as I took the ring from her. I clutched it in my hand after a moment of inspection and I hugged her.

"You really are a good person Ophis," I said, calmly. Ophis remained still in my hug and I pulled away after a moment to find Ophis' usual blank face with a small blush on her cheeks. "Let's go home, Ophis."

She nodded at me and we picked everything up to leave.

* * *

It's been around 5 weeks since Akeno's mother died. She sent me a letter saying that she had met up with Rias and was in the Underworld. She also mentioned something about my pawn pieces acting strangely but she didn't really understand it.

I hadn't heard from her again and I'm moving to Kyoto in a few days. I had convinced my dad to take the temporary job transfer which was a good idea because I might be able to get in touch with Yasaka-san and the youkai there. They might be able to help me train better.

"Issei, I sense a familiar power," said Ophis as she played my old Gameboy. I asked who and she remained silent for a moment, seeming to be extremely distracted by her game. "Take that supposed dragon master! Ah and it feels like the Hakuryuukou."

"What?! Vali is near here?!" I shouted in shock. Ophis nodded and then turned off the Gameboy.

"As is Azazel but they're far from here. They might be at the Himejima Shrine with Baraqiel since he did just lose his wife," explained Ophis. I frowned at the thought and decided against going to where Vali and Azazel were because it might have been better to leave them to comfort Baraqiel.

"Issei! Come down and help your father take apart the dining room table! We need to finish getting everything packed," called my mom from downstairs. Ophis turned the Gameboy back on and I knew the conversation was over so I ran downstairs.

* * *

 _Azazel POV_

I just finished watching one of my best friends cry himself to sleep from his sadness. Not only had he lost his wife but his daughter left to join the devils. I just don't understand why he doesn't blame me. We knew that some of Shuri's family were against her marriage to Baraqiel but I still called him away. If I hadn't done so, he could have been there to protect her. Why can't he just punish me already?

I heard the door open and close and I turned around.

"Ah, Vali. Did you do it?" I asked, seriously. He nodded, hesitantly, and clutched his arm. "I'm sorry I asked something like that of you but I needed to stay here to support Baraqiel."

"It's okay, Azazel. T-They were bad people so it's okay," said Vali, sheepishly. I smiled and walked over to Vali before ruffling his hair and walking out of the room. Just before I closed the door, I stopped.

"Ah, yeah. Apparently your rival is in this town. I wonder if you would want to see him," I said. Vali tensed and I grinned before shutting the door behind me.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I hope you enjoyed it, though I'm sorry it was short. I am trying to make as many changes to Gunmare's original story to give you guys something new but it's a bit hard since this is the first time I've done something like this.**_

 _ **Well, anyways, please remember to check out the second chapter today!**_


	8. Volume 1 Life 7

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Here's the second chapter that I promised!**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.7**

 ** _Several days later…_**

 _Issei POV_

My family, Ophis, and I have finally settled down in Kyoto and I decided it would be good to go over to Yasaka-san and Kunou's shrine to ask for help training. They won't remember me, but I don't think they'll deny me if I beg a bit.

"Why are we going up here, Issei?" asked Ophis, annoyed that I dragged her from her video games to climb Inari Mountain to get to the shrine.

"Because Yasaka-san is the leader of the youkai in Kyoto so she can train me the best," I said as we trekked up the path. She pouted (well as much as Ophis is capable) and I ignored her as the shrine began coming into view. I smiled at the familiar sight and began to run up the stairs. "C'mon Ophis! We're about to get there!"

I ran all the way up the stairs, a smile on my face, until I noticed something. I saw two familiar faces standing a bit in front of the temple and I froze on the top steps.

"Y-Yasaka-san? Kunou?" I said, shocked.

"Hello there Sekiryuutei-sama. We've been waiting for you for quite a while now," said Yasaka, smiling over at me.

"Ise! I'm so happy you're finally here!" said Kunou, happily, as she ran over to me and hugged me. I blushed a bit at the random hug but returned it and looked over to Yasaka.

"Yasaka-san, how do you…?" I said in shock. She walked over to me, smiling.

"Issei, she's First," said Ophis, causing my eyes to dart over to her and then back at Yasaka.

"Around ten years ago, while pregnant with Kunou, I received a powerful headache after hearing a prophecy of 'a perverted red warrior who would seek me out'. She also said that he 'would become famous for his love of breasts' and that triggered my memory of you. What exactly is going on right now?" said Yasaka, confused.

"Well…it's a long story," I said. Yasaka smiled at me and turned around to begin walking towards the shrine.

"Why don't we go inside and have some tea?" said Yasaka. I nodded and followed Yasaka with Ophis and Kunou to the shrine.

* * *

"Ah, so that's how it is," said Yasaka before sipping her tea. She seemed to think about what I had just explained to her and then looked up at me and smiled. "I'm very happy you are still around, Sekiryuutei-sama. You're such a good boy and I'd hate to see you gone."

"I'm glad I'm alive too," I said, causing Yasaka to giggle. I took a sip of my tea and remembered something. "Ah! I almost forgot. I only got one headache after I was back as a kid so how does Kunou remember me? It was kind of weird that you remembered me before I was even brought back but it's even weirder that Kunou remembers me too."

"Well, we aren't sure either. We only know that when Kunou was born-," began Yasaka before being interrupted by a blushing Kunou.

"Mother, no! It's so embarrassing!" protested Kunou, her mother reacting with a sly smile.

"Her first word after she was born was 'Ise'," said Yasaka, Kunou curling down to the ground, covering her head in embarrassment.

[Partner, could it be possible that, since Yasaka was pregnant with Kunou at the time of her remembering you, that it also affected Kunou?] said Ddraig, catching my interest. It made perfect sense if you thought of it.

"Ddraig just had a perfect explanation to why Kunou remembers me. It's possible that, since you were pregnant with Kunou, your remembering me affected her memory of me," I said while Yasaka and Kunou listened.

"That seems quite plausible. I could feel the magical energy in my body ripple when I recovered my memory and it may have affected Kunou's developing magical energy," said Yasaka. Thought it sounded a bit complex, I mostly understood what she meant.

After a few more minutes of snacking and drinking tea, Yasaka seemed to remember something.

"Ah, Sekiryuutei-sama-," began Yasaka before I interrupted her.

"Yasaka-san, please call me Issei. Sekiryuutei-sama seems too formal," I said, feeling a bit awkward with how formally she was calling me.

"Alright then, Issei-sama," said Yasaka, causing me to sigh. That was good enough I suppose. "You said you were moving here to Kyoto, correct? If so, I assume it was to have me train you?"

"Ah, yes," I began before moving over and bowing a bit. "I would really appreciate if you would train me. Ophis and Ddraig can only teach me so much and I want to get as strong as possible."

"Hm…well, with what you did for the youkai of Kyoto, I would happily train you but I do want to ask something in return for my training," said Yasaka, making me look up at her. "I wish for you to make a kind of pact with me. It would be a pact in which I will train you and you will assist me with things that I need until you become a devil again."

"That seems reasonable," I said, thinking about it. It makes sense since Yasaka will be training me just to send me to the devil side. She might as well put me to work while she helps me. "Yes! Whatever you need I will do as long as I am capable."

Yasaka smiled at me and then rose up before sliding her hands into the sleeves of her yukata.

"Very well. Now let us go and see your parents," said Yasaka, making me cock a brow at her in confusion. She beckoned me to follow her and Kunou, Ophis, and I followed her out of the shrine and to my new home.

* * *

We arrived at house later on and my parents were surprised to see me entering with the very beautiful Yasaka and her cute daughter.

"Ise, who is this?" asked mom, a bit worried I might've gotten into trouble.

"Hello Hyoudou-dono, my name is Yasaka and this is my daughter Kunou. We are here today to speak about your son Hyoudou-san," said Yasaka with a very calm expression.

"Is there something that he did by chance?" asked dad, worriedly.

"No, no, actually I just wanted to talk to you about an opportunity that has arisen for your son," said Yasaka, causing a bit of interest to light up my parents' eyes. My father lad Yasaka and Kunou over to the living room to sit down while my mother took me to the kitchen to help her quickly make some tea for our new guests. I walked in with the tray of tea, my mother following behind, and set the tray down on the table while filling the cups.

"So, this opportunity pertains to what exactly?" asked dad, curiously.

"Ah, well I am actually a talent scout for a very elite private school here in Kyoto," began Yasaka, immediately catching the attention of my parents. "You see, the martial arts club in our school has been doing quite poorly ion tournaments as of late and I had found out about Hyoudou-san's abilities in his last martial arts tournament. I believe he would be a great asset to our club and thought that we would give him a scholarship to be able to enter our school."

"S-Scholarship?!" shouted mom in shock. My dad also had a dumbfounded look on his face at Yasaka's words and I thought he was going to drop his tea cup.

"Yes, we will even provide room and board so that he may go to the school more easily. After all, the school is on the far side of Kyoto so it would be difficult to commute via public transportation," explained Yasaka. My father and mother turned and hugged each other sobbing, happily.

"It's so beautiful! Our Issei is finally showing his true colors!" said dad, happily.

"Yes! Even with his martial arts, he never tried hard with academics or had an interest in a future career even though many of his classmates were already talking about what they wanted to do. The world is so beautiful!" shouted mom in happiness.

Oi, oi, could you tone down your disappointment in me a bit? I'm not that useless of a son you know.

"Even though it's Issei's birthday in a couple weeks, it's like we're getting the present!" said dad, still sobbing happily.

"I assume you have no objections to the deal I have presented you with?" asked Yasaka, receiving 'None' and 'Please take him's from my parents, causing me to sigh in annoyance. My parents are too quick to send me off. After all, I don't know how often I'll be able to visit them. "Very good them. School starts in a couple days but I would like Hyoudou-san to become a bit used to his new home. He should leave with me today."

"Ise, go upstairs and repack your things. You shouldn't keep this nice woman waiting," said mom, causing me to roll my eyes at her. I ran upstairs and packed my things together, making sure Ophis had her things together as well, and we both met Yasaka down before getting into her _limo_ and driving off, my parents sobbing, happily, in front of the house as we left.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I hope you enjoyed it!**_

 _ **Also, I know that in Gunmare's original story, Issei's parents were pretty normal with him but I liked it better when they exaggeratedly expressed their disappointment in him because I thought it was hilarious. Hope you guys feel the same.**_

 ** _Anyways, Review to let me know what you guys thought and until next time...byeee :D_**


	9. Volume 1 Life 8

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I'm a couple days later than I originally planned to post this double chapter so sorry about that.**_

 _ **I really ran on this chapter. I ended up getting into it and making it longer than the norm. Sadly, though, I burned out a bit when writing the second chapter and didn't make it as long as I was hoping. Hope that isn't a problem!**_

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.8**

Kunou, Yasaka, and I arrived at the shrine sometime later and I spent some kind settling into my room as well as having Kunou remind me where everything was in case I forgot something from my previous visit. I was at the shrine for a couple of hours before Yasaka called me over to the sitting room.

"Issei-sama, if I'm going to train you, I need to know just how exactly you plan on honing your skills and gaining new ones. I've been researching some of the youkai techniques and fighting forms I believe you may be able to handle despite not being a youkai, but I still need to know your intentions," explained Yasaka.

"Well, Yasaka-san, I'm not all too sure. I'm a pawn so I can basically use the powers of every piece except the King, much like the Queen. I've only ever been a Power-type so I guess I'd want to branch out as much as I can," I said, piquing Yasaka's interest.

"So you plan to become an all-rounder? That's very interesting. I may not be able to help you train in all aspects, though," said Yasaka. I frowned, wondering who I could get to help train my in whatever aspects she was unable. "In case you're wondering, I will be able to train you in wizardry and techniques but know little about pure power and support. We'd have to find another being who would be willing to train you in those aspects."

"Hmm…I wonder if it would be alright to reach out to some of my old friends or teachers. Since they don't remember me, it might be hard, though," I said, wondering what I could do.

[Partner, how about seeing if Yasaka has any connections? Otherwise she could always just have you work out a deal with them after bringing them here] said Ddraig, catching my attention.

That's a perfect idea, Ddraig! You're a genius!

I could hear Ddraig chuckling in the background and muttering to himself but I ignored that in favor of speaking to Yasaka.

"Yasaka-san! Do you have any connections with people from outside Kyoto? Maybe I could get a teacher that way? Otherwise, I could always make a deal with one if you could set up a meeting," I said, making Yasaka hum.

"I do have a couple of friends that may be able to help, Issei-sama, but as for setting up deals, I don't think that's plausible. You're just some unknown and weak human right now. None of them would bat an eye at you as you are now," explained Yasaka, making me sob to myself. I forgot that I was just useless Issei right now.

"Ne, Ne, Ise," said Kunou, catching my and Yasaka's attention. "I just thought of something cool!"

"What is it, Kunou?" asked Yasaka, curiously.

"Ise said he's not going to be the Oppai Dragon anymore right? Well then you need a new name! I thought of one that would be cool, it's the All-around Pawn Dragon!" said Kunou, excitedly. I sighed a bit, wondering what happened to the 'Red' but was distracted by a light sobbing in my head.

Ddraig, what's wrong?

[Uuu…it's so beautiful Partner. No more trauma as the Oppai Dragon!] said Ddraig, causing me to sweat-drop.

You are not crying over this…you're one of the most feared dragons in existence, you are not crying over a name.

[Shut up! You don't know the suffering of going from a merciless feared existence to the children's hero-laughingstock of existence!] cried Ddraig, causing me to rub my temples from the headache I was getting from the stupidity of his reaction. And I thought I was an idiot.

"Issei-sama," began Yasaka, breaking me from my thoughts. "I think we should begin training you in the things I can train you in and find a teacher for you for the other parts as we go."

I nodded in agreement with her words and noticed Kunou was still staring at me, super pumped about her new name for me. I smiled at her and petted her head, causing her to wag her little fox tails in satisfaction.

"I think we should hold off on new names until I develop a little more," I said. Kunou nodded and continued to enjoy my petting, causing Yasaka to laugh at the situation.

Well, I guess having Kunou here will make everything a little calmer.

* * *

 ** _Two and a half weeks later…_**

"*pant*…*pant*…*pant*…Almost back," I said to myself as I jogged back to the shrine. I'm currently on my third jog this morning and it was 10am. A couple days after beginning training with Yasaka, I decided to begin training my body back up to par. Every day I wake up at 6am and go for a jog, come back to get water, go for another jog at 7:30am, come back to eat breakfast, and then go for my final job at 9am. After this I will be going to train with Yasaka.

The shrine was coming into view and I quickly ran up the final stretch and ended in front of the shrine, panting, and stopping at the door to take a breather.

Since I'm not a devil, I don't have the same stamina so I have to build it up.

"W-Welcome back, Ise," said Kunou, making me turn to her. She was standing next to me, the front door to the shrine open. In her hands were a bottle with energy drink and my t-shirt, which I never wear when I go jogging. Kunou was blushing and trying not to look at me for some reason but I ignored it like always and took the energy drink and my shirt.

"Thanks, Kunou! You're the best," I said, smiling brightly. Kunou's face got brighter and she nodded before I took a big chug of the energy drink. After coming inside, I used the towel I kept around my neck to wipe myself clean of sweat and slipped on my shirt.

"Ah, Issei-sama, welcome back. Your jog went well?" asked Yasaka, already knowing the answer. I gave her a quick thumbs up as I took another swig of the energy drink and she smiled. "Well, now that you're back, I guess we can talk about something. I've been thinking about it, and I believe you should expand your sword collection just a bit."

"Eh? But I have Ascalon. Why would I get another sword?" I asked, confused by what she was talking about.

"Well, I believe that one of the reasons you are progressing a bit slower than you could be in sword techniques, which is still quite fast, is due to the fact that Ascalon isn't as compatible with your sword fighting. It's very good for fighting other dragons and it is a powerful sword but, on top of the fact that it is one of weaker holy swords when used against anything _other_ than a dragon, it is a bit unbalanced as a sword. I believe something similar to a katana may be better for someone like yourself believe of the fact that it is lighter and easier to slash with than Ascalon," explained Yasaka.

"But, Yasaka-san, I can't just get any old katana. Any old human-made sword would shatter if it went up against some of the tough guys I've gone up against," I said, as if it was obvious. Yasaka rolled her eyes at me and poked me in the forehead.

"You do realize that there are magical katana as well, right?" said Yasaka, my response being a confused expression. She sighed and then looked directly in my eyes. "Issei-sama, please do not tell me you do not know of the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi."

"W-What?! Isn't that that sword that Susano'o used to kill Yamata no Orochi?!" I shouted in surprise, Kunou sitting next to me, equally surprised.

"Oh thank the gods," muttered Yasaka under her breath. "Yes, well, Susano'o actually failed and he ran away to heaven to cower. He wasn't all that manly about it. The lie in his myth was spread by one of his children who was disappointed in him. I'm unaware of where the sword is now, though, so it would be difficult to find it."

"Oh, I know where it is," said Ophis who suddenly appeared next to me. Kunou and I jumped and Ophis continued to remain still. "My anime just ended so I thought I would come in and tell you before the next episode comes on. Yamata no Orochi actually swallowed the Ame and left since he pitied Susano'o too much to attack him. He only swallowed the sword to hide it from Susano'o because he thought he was so unworthy. Despite being fairly evil, Yamata is actually looking for a new wielder for the sword."

"Amazing! To think Yamata no Orochi is still holding onto that sword," said Yasaka. As she was thinking about how exactly we could retrieve the sword from the mythical beast, Ophis said 'Ah, the new episode is starting' and left as silently and unnoticeably as she had come.

I watched as Yasaka hopped to her feet and began to go through her bookshelves, probably trying to find legends of Yamata no Orochi so that she could try and pinpoint his location. I decided to leave her be and took my shinai (a wooden sword for practicing) to the backyard of the shrine and began training.

* * *

 ** _Later that day…_**

"Ise!" said Kunou, running over to me. She looked a bit flustered so I stopped my training and looked over to her. I asked what was wrong and she covered my mouth with her hand. "Shh…we have some visitors and mother told me to keep you hidden."

"Who's here? Enemies?" I asked, seriously.

"It's Azazel-sama and Hakuryuukou-sama," said Kunou, causing my eyes to widen. "They're here to talk to my mother about something. It might be dangerous if you meet them and they don't recognize you."

I stared at her for a moment and began walking towards the sitting room. Kunou tried to pull me back but I placed a hand on her arm.

"Don't worry, I won't be seen. I'm just going to peek around," I said, calmly. Kunou pouted but released my arm and held my hand as we wandered near the sitting room. I hid behind the wall and very quietly slid the door open just enough to peek inside. I could see Azazel and Vali sitting, seiza, in front of Yasaka.

"So, what may I do for the great Governor of the Grigori?" asked Yasaka, seriously.

"Relax, Yasaka-san. We're not here to harm anyone. I actually wanted your help with a little project of mine. I plan to see if I can use fox fire as a special power source for some interesting devices I'm creating and I'd need the help of a powerful fox fire user such as yourself," said Azazel smoothly.

"Hm…for weapons, I assume?" said Yasaka, dryly. Azazel sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Now, now, Yasaka-san, you know I'm done with war. Any weapons I create is purely for enjoyment and are to be used only on those that can reach their full potential," said Azazel. Yasaka hummed, not amused by his words and he sighed again. "What exactly would you take in return for just a small supply of your fox fire?"

"Hmm…" hummed Yasaka. She fanned herself as she thought and a small smile appeared on her face. "Azazel-san, may I ask which of the four fields you excel in?"

"Huh? You mean between wizardry, technique, power, and support? Well, I'm more of a power and technique types. I'm not a supporter at all and I'm not too in depth in wizardry. I can teach from all but I don't use support and wizardry when I fight," explained Azazel. "Is there a reason?"

"Hm…well, I have a student that I have taken on but I cannot teach him things I do not know. I thought that you could assist me in teaching and training him in return for some fox fire now and again," said Yasaka, slyly. Azazel thought about it for a moment and grinned at her.

"Seems we've got ourselves a bit of a deal right now. May I see this student? I only sense the normal youkai around," said Azazel, curiously.

"Hm…well, he is concealing his power just a bit but before I do, I would like to say that you cannot try and do anything I do not approve of to him. Remember that I still run Kyoto," said Yasaka, glaring at Azazel while showing her fangs.

"Of course! I have no intention of fighting anyone, let alone the great Nine-tailed Fox herself. I mean, do you know what kind of havoc it would cause if either of us suffered fatal wounds?" said Azazel, seriously. Yasaka relaxed her posture and cracked a grin at him, also causing Azazel to relax.

"Issei-sama! Please come in with Kunou," said Yasaka, making me jump a bit. I could see her peeking at me from the corner of her eye and I sighed. I guess I can't hide my presence from someone like her.

I stood up and entered the room, Kunou hiding behind me and clutching my shirt in the hand she had previously been using to hold my hand. I sat in seiza next to Yasaka and Kunou sat behind me before Yasaka pointed her fan towards me.

"This is Hyoudou Issei-sama. He," began Yasaka before quickly flicking off my Ring of Dispel. "Is this generation's Sekiryuutei."

"…A-Ahahaha! Yasaka-san, you shouldn't play such mean tricks on me. You might give me heart problems from the shock," said Azazel, causing me to sweat-drop. Considering I hadn't yet had a chance to properly release my aura, it wasn't a surprise he wasn't believing it.

"Ddraig, you can come out," I said. A moment later, my Boosted Gear materialized on my left hand and I could see Azazel visibly tense as well as Vali nearly jump up in shock.

[Yo, Albion! Nice to see you again] said Ddraig, aloud. Vali looked towards his right hand, his face still showing how he was visibly shaken, and the white and blue gauntlet materialized on his hand.

[Ddraig! What the hell are you doing being with this weak kid? Are you forfeiting this generation to me?] asked Albion, angrily. I sighed as he clearly did not remember us, similar to how Vali seemed to lack memory of us.

"Oi, oi, Yasaka-san, you didn't mention you had the Sekiryuutei under your wing. If I had known that then I would have asked for a bit more to train him," said Azazel. Yasaka gave him a sly grin and he sighed. "Whatever. I guess it will be interesting to train both the Sekiryuutei _and_ Hakuryuukou. What kind of luck is that?"

"Ufufu, I thought you might agree to it," said Yasaka, smiling in satisfaction. I looked between the two and smiled a bit. Seems our problem from earlier is slowly being solved.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Yay! Much more deviation!**_

 _ **I like making Gunmare's story more my own but I try to keep most of his storyline intact. Review and let me now how you guys feel about the story right now!**_

 _ **Anyways, remember to check out the second chapter coming out today!**_


	10. Volume 1 Life 9

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **This is the second chapter!**_

 _ **Also, before I forget, please check out the poll at the top of my profile!**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.9**

 ** _The next day…_**

"Alright then, Ise-kun. I guess we should start with the basics. Yasaka-san told me you're more of a power-type even though you're trying to branch out. While Yasaka-san is teaching you sword techniques, I'll be teaching you how to put power into them," said Azazel with an excited smile on his face. I could see how into this he was.

"Thank you, Azazel-sensei," I said before bowing a bit. He grinned and then I saw a curious look on his face.

"You know, Ise-kun, what sword are you using exactly? The fact that you want to learn sword techniques must mean you have some kind of powerful sword, otherwise you won't be able to stand up against strong foes. I mean, you should see how easily a normal sword breaks on a dragon's skin," said Azazel. I sighed and fidgeted a bit, wondering how exactly I could hide the fact that my sword was the one and only Ascalon. He would freak when he saw it because he would probably think I stole it or something. "That much of a secret, eh? Well, if it bothers you that much, I guess you don't have to tell me. At least for now that is."

Oh thank every god out there for making the learn-aholic let this one go.

"Anyways, how well do you know about the abilities of your Boosted Gear? You're only human so you probably had a bit of trouble bringing it out at all," said Azazel.

"Ah, well it's kind of hard to explain how exactly I brought it out, but Ddraig has helped me through most of the way," I said. It wasn't technically a lie. It just wasn't all Ddraig. But how exactly can I tell him that I've been living with the _dragon god_ who has been teaching me out to more efficiently use the power of the Boosted Gear.

"Hm…well anyways, you should have quite a bit of knowledge on it if the Welsh Dragon has been teaching you. So you should already understand the ability to Boost and the fact that you can transfer that power to others. Ah, and of course you also get stronger, physically, faster than a normal human would. Since the Welsh Dragon was always revered for how immense his strength was," said Azazel. I nodded along, already knowing all of this considering I have used Ddraig's powers countless times. I can't mention some of the other powers, like the Triana, Penetrate, or my dragon wings, since I'm either not supposed to know about them or they haven't been created by me yet.

"So, what should I do first? Should I practice using my Boosted Gear or…?" I asked, impatiently. He grinned at me and placed his hand atop of my head before ruffling my hair.

"Patience, kid. This isn't something you're gonna get in an instant. If you're lucky, you might get to Balance Breaker in a year or two if you work hard enough," said Azazel, ignoring my 'Ow's as he harshly ruffled my hair. He released my head when he noticed something and I caressed my aching scalp before following him with my eyes. "Oi, Vali, stop cowering over there. Just because he has the Welsh Dragon in him doesn't mean he's gonna attack you."

I tried to follow his line of sight and found Vali hiding behind a statue next to the shrine, trembling.

Oi, oi, this _cannot_ be my rival. Vali is way stronger and cooler than this.

"Oi, Vali, why are you hiding? If you're so afraid of me, why don't you train hard so you can protect yourself?" I said, feeling really cool after saying it. Despite that, Vali seemed to tremble more and a vein popped on of my temple. I stalked over to him and punched him across the head, making him crouch down to the ground and hold his aching head. "You little baby! Man up before I get really angry! You're my rival so start acting like one."

"…" Vali was silent in response to my words and I waited for some kind of indication that he heard what I said. "U-UWAAAAHHHH!"

Oh my gosh…he's crying. The badass image of Vali in my head is shattering because he's crying from being hit in the head.

I nearly turned to stone from such a sheer change in the personality of my rival and I wasn't sure what to do.

"Don't worry too much about him, Ise-kun. He's pretty timid since he was badly abused by his parents. There isn't much you can do about him. He'll get better with time so we'll just have to wait until that happens," said Azazel, calmly. I pouted a bit and watched as my rival continued to cower in fear.

* * *

 ** _A couple days later…_**

It's been some time of training with Azazel and Yasaka, as well as my own training early in the morning. Azazel has really taught me a lot about more efficiently using the small amount of energy I have as a human so that I can properly use the Boosted Gear. It's only been a couple days but he said that we're already starting to see some progress. He and Vali needed to return to Grigori HQ with the fox fire so he could begin preparations for his experiments and told me to take some time to think about what he's taught me as well as train on my own for a bit. I had decided to spend some time thinking about his teachings in my room and I remembered something.

"Akeno's mom," I breathed out before flipping around and searching through my drawer. I hadn't spoken to her in a while because of how busy I had been, but I finally had a chance. I found the ring that was strung onto a chain necklace and moved to the small table in my room. I sat down next to it and leaned my elbowed on the table as I looked at the gem on the ring. It was a deep purple with a faint, whitish glow in the center where I presumed Shuri's soul was resting. I focused my energy after closing my eyes and could feel my mind enter the ring.

 _"Ah, Ise-chan. It's been so long. I hope you aren't pushing yourself too far. After all, you need to protect my darling little Akeno. If you can, please tell her I love her,"_ echoed Shuri's voice in my head.

I was forced back to reality, panting, and groaned before placing my head down on the table.

"How am I supposed to tell Akeno when she doesn't even know you're in here?" I said to myself, relaxing from the intense meditation necessary to talk to Shuri.

"Who doesn't know who is in here?" asked a familiar voice from the doorway. I shot up to find Kunou standing there, looking at me curiously while waving around her tails.

"Ah, Kunou, what's up?" I asked, ignoring her earlier question.

"I came to see if Ise wanted to eat something for lunch but I saw you were really focused and didn't want to interrupt you. And you didn't answer my question," said Kunou, pouting. I sighed as she made her way over to me and I beckoned her to sit next to me, which she did so quickly, even sitting uncomfortably close to me. Those I did enjoy the feeling of her soft and growing thighs against my leg.

"Alright, well, you need to keep this a secret from everyone else until I say so but," I began before holding up the ring. "In this ring is the soul of the mother of one of my very close friends. She was killed but we saved her soul so that one day we could resurrect her."

"Wooow! Is she really nice? Can I talk to her?" asked Kunou, her eyes gleaming with interest,

"She's nice but you can't talk to her. It's really difficult to focus enough and it's better that you not start talking to souls. I don't think Yasaka-san would be too happy," I said, sweat-dropping.

"Mm…fineee. Do you want to eat at least?" asked Kunou, pouting a bit at my answer. I nodded and her pouting face was replaced by a happy one before she quickly leapt to her feet and dragged me to the eating area.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I had kinda forgotten about Shuri's ring so I decided to add a little segment here. Next chapter may be interesting depending on what I think of! Look forward to it.**_

 _ **Anyways, until next time...byeee :D**_


	11. Volume 1 Life 10

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I'm very sorry for being gone for nearly a month but I had a tremendous amount of things to deal with. Aside from being severely sick for a week (which I am still recovering from), I also went on vacation with my family, had to plan out some things for my sister's wedding, had to deal with preparations for my second semester of college, and had some family issues that didn't leave me in the best of mindsets to write. I tried to write what I could for this chapter but I still need to get back in the flow so please forgive its lacking in the normal quality it would normally have.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.10**

 ** _A week later…_**

It's been a week since Azazel-sensei had left and yesterday he sent Vali back since he wasn't in need of him. I had decided to take it upon myself to try and help Vali at least a little bit. It's so awkward that my previously badass rival Vali is now this little chicken who cries every time he trips or I hit him. It makes me want to cry.

Right now, I'm trying to see if I can get Vali to achieve Balance Breaker. I'm hoping that by training together, I might be able to trigger his memory. I know for certain that Vali will remember. We were too close, though it was as rivals, for him not to remember me.

"Vali! Why did you stop focusing your demonic energy?" I asked, suddenly, startling Vali. Currently, I'm making him focus his demonic energy in hopes to activate his Balance Breaker.

"B-But H-Hyoudou-sensei, it's really hard and I'm tired," whined Vali, nervously.

"I told you to call me Issei and we've only been doing it for 20 minutes. I can focus my energy own energy longer than you can focus your demonic energy," I scolded, causing Vali to clutch his head in anticipation of a punch. "Why are you acting all scared? I'm not gonna hit you so calm down. Man, who knew the strong and powerful Hakuryuukou I remembered was so weak when he was a kid."

[Ddraig, what does your partner mean by that? He's never met Vali before now] said Albion, confused.

"I-I don't know why but that m-makes me feel nostalgic," said Vali, sounding even more confused than Albion. I grinned, happy that I was at least jogging something from his memory. I remember that Ophis said that a lot of the people I knew would feel certain things when they saw me or spoke to me.

"I should hope it does," I began. "But either ways, let's focus on your training, alright?"

Vali nodded at me and he put his fists together as he tried to focus his energy once more.

* * *

I had had Vali continue to practice focusing his demonic energy while I had trained my martial arts. It had been a few hours and I was drenched and sweat and exhausted. I decided to finally check on Vali again to see how he was doing and found that he wasn't outside like he had been.

"Huh? Where did Vali go?" I asked myself, confused. I began to wander around while I looked for my rival. I ran into Yasaka on the way and she stopped me.

"What is the matter, Issei-sama?" asked Yasaka, curiously.

"Ah, Yasaka-san, have you seen Vali? We were training outside but he disappeared," I said. Yasaka put a finger to her lips and she looked away as she thought. She frowned after a moment and turned to me again.

"I'm sorry, Issei-sama, but I don't quite remember seeing him. Perhaps Ophis or Kunou happen to know where he is," said Yasaka. I muttered out a thanks and then went over to my and Ophis' room to see if she saw him. I stopped before opening the door when I heard loud talking and what sounded like a video game playing in the room. I opened the door and found Ophis, Kunou, and Vali playing video games while yelling at each other about how they were going to beat the other.

I strut over behind them, a vein pulsing in my forehead, as I looked down at them.

"I-I'm going to beat you two!" said Vali, excitedly.

"No you won't," said Ophis, simply, receiving a confused 'How come?' from Vali. "Because Ise is standing right behind you."

Vali jumped at her words and dropped his controller. He trembled and slowly turned around to face me, meanwhile I was struggling to restrain myself.

"H-Hi, Issei," said Vali, simply.

"Hey, Vali. Whatcha doing here?" I asked with great annoyance in my voice.

"J-Just taking a b-break."

"Just taking a break?"

"Uhuh."

"…" I stared at Vali for a moment and then smashed my fist into his head. "What the hell are you doing when we're supposed to be training?!"

"Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry," said Vali, repeatedly, as I ground my fist into his head.

"Man, if this keeps coming up I might just restart your embarrassing nickname," I said, annoyed.

[No, partner! If you do such a thing then Albion will suffer, too] said Ddraig. I rolled my eyes and sighed in response but conceded.

[What is he talking about, Ddraig?] asked Albion.

[It's best not to know, old friend. It's best not to know] said Ddraig.

"Anyways, Vali, we need to get back to training," I said while grabbing Vali by the collar and dragging him out.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

After I had dragged Vali away from video games the day before, we ended up sparring (mostly me chasing Vali around and trying to spar) for the rest of the day. Azazel-sensei had returned while I was on my morning jog and I came back to find he and Yasaka sharing some sake.

"Ah, Ise-kun, how's your training been going?" asked Azazel before taking a sip of his sake.

"Good. I've also been trying to train with Vali but it's harder than I thought. I don't know how you've gotten him to this point," I said, sighing as I remembered chasing Vali around the day before while he was crying. Azazel-sensei laughed, loudly, and muttered something about knowing how I felt. "So how did that thing you left for go?"

"Eh? The fox fire thing? It went well. We managed to create a stable energy cell using the fox fire as fuel and it was able to put out quite a bit of power. The Grigori and I are looking forward to future results," said Azazel, nonchalantly. I nodded, not really understanding most of it, but knowing that it was important.

"I'd hope you had some good out of it. I wouldn't want my precious fox fire being useless to you after you agreed to assist my young pupil here," said Yasaka, smirking as she took a sip of her sake. Azazel-sensei grinned at her and we four sat down together to catch on what had happened while separated. After quite some time of Vali and I explaining what we had been doing to Azazel-sensei and he explaining some complicated fox fire technology to Yasaka, we were interrupted by a presence who Yasaka and I were familiar with. I leapt to my feet and ran out the door, quickly followed by Vali, Azazel, and Yasaka.

When we got outside, we found a purple magic circle with the Gremory seal in the center. I immediately recognized whose magic circle it belonged to and my eyes widened in surprise. A familiar person walked through the magic circle and leapt at me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"A-A-Akeno?!" I shouted in shock.

"Oh, Ise, it's been so long," said Akeno, longingly, as she tightly hugged me. I returned said hug for a moment and then pulled her off of me, much to my discontent since I could no longer feel Akeno amazing and growing breasts on my chest.

"Akeno, what are you doing here?" I asked, shocked by her appearance. She smiled and then laughed at me before slipping her arms underneath my own and pressing herself into my chest.

"Mmm…Rias had some important business with her family and she left me at the house to rest and train on my own. I thought I'd finally come back to see you since I missed my adorable little Ise," explained Akeno. I smiled and pet her head, causing her to snuggle into me more.

"A-Akeno?" said Azazel in surprise. Akeno pulled away from me just enough that she could peek around to see Azazel. "How…How do you know Ise-kun? And why did you join the devils after…Shuri died?"

"Ise became friends with me back in my home town. I'm surprised my father didn't tell you about him. As for where I have been, I'd rather not tell you for the moment," said Akeno. Azazel-sensei walked over to her and placed a hand on her head before smiling.

"Baraqiel will be so happy to see you. I need to bring him to see you," said Azazel, about to open a magic circle before being stopped by Akeno.

"Azazel, not yet. I'm not ready to see father yet. It's too soon," said Akeno, killing his excited mood. Azazel's head drooped a bit in disappointment and I felt kind of bad. I remember that Azazel-sensei took it almost as hard as Baraqiel did. It must have been hard not to be able to console your best friend.

"It's good to see you again, Akeno. Why don't you come in so we can all catch up?" said Yasaka. Akeno smiled at the youkai leader and nodded before following everyone into the shrine, her arms still holding me to her.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I know it was short and kind of choppy and I apologize for that. I thought it would be nice to bring back Akeno since it has been awhile but let me know what you guys thought of this chapter! Also, let me know what you guys think will happen next.**_

 _ **Anyways, until next time...byeee :D**_


	12. Volume 1 Life 11

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **This chapter is a little later than I had originally wanted but I had some trouble with building up for future events.**_

 _ **This is the last chapter for the first volume and the next chapter will begin with a large time skip.**_

 _ **Well, before I talk about next chapter I should let you read this one. ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.11**

"So, Akeno, how well do you and Ise-kun actually know each other?" asked Azazel, skeptically. Azazel, Yasaka, Vali, Akeno, and I were all sitting together and were talking about various things.

"Well, Ise knows that I'm part Fallen Angel and that I'm currently reincarnated as a devil. He also knows that you're the leader of the Grigori and that my father, Baraqiel, is the vice-governor," explained Akeno, receiving a surprised expression from Azazel.

"Hmm…and I wonder why Ise-kun didn't share this with me," said Azazel while looking at me from the corner of his eye. I laughed, awkwardly, and Akeno giggled a bit before clinging to me again.

"Well, we decided to keep it a secret for now. Never know who is watching, right?" said Akeno, smiling brightly. "By the way, Azazel, what's been going on in the heaven right now? I overheard the father of my master saying that heaven was having some problems."

"Hm? Ah, yeah, I heard that Ascalon disappeared and that there have been some problems with God's system. It's quite the issue. They think that whoever Ascalon left to be with is also the one causing the system to malfunction. I heard it wasn't bad but Michael must be freaking out over it," explained Azazel, laughing a bit at the end, probably thinking about the current leader of heaven being in a panic. Akeno glanced at me when Azazel mentioned Ascalon and I hoped heaven wouldn't look very hard for the holy dragon-slaying sword.

"Well, enough talk about this. Ise, how has your training been going?" asked Akeno, curiously. I looked down at her and she smiled and clung to me tighter.

"A-Ah, well Yasaka has been helping me with sword technique right now since I don't have a large enough magic storage to really do much. Azazel-sensei is also helping me increase my power output so I can deal more damage. I decided I want to be an all-rounder so I have to work hard in each field," I said, calmly. She nodded her head in understanding and then seemed to be thinking about something.

"You know, Ise, there are probably ways of expanding your magical capacity. Like using senjutsu or using certain magical tools," said Akeno. I cocked a brow, not really thinking much about such things.

"I already thought about senjutsu, Akeno. The issue is that Issei-sama doesn't really have a ki network. Only certain youkai, angels, and a couple types of dragons naturally have ki networks. It would be nearly impossible for him to unlock such a thing," explained Yasaka, causing Akeno to frown.

"Yasaka is basically right. There's only one real way for him to get one but a human would die the moment the process began. Maybe if he was a supernatural being like a real dragon or devil or something then there would be a possibility," said Azazel, only confirming Yasaka's words. I frowned, sad that I wouldn't be able to use senjutsu but then I remembered the other part of Akeno's words.

"What about magical tools? If I had those I could increase my magic storage a bit, right?" I asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, you could but they aren't easy to get, especially here in Japan. Magic tools are mostly used by the Nordic over in Europe and those people in India and China. The tools are very important to each group and they wouldn't give them up willingly," explained Azazel. I frowned again, sad that another road had been blocked. I guess I would just have to put off magic training for a while.

"Vali's so lucky, having a bit store of demonic energy for magic," I muttered, causing the then quietly sitting Vali to perk up.

"Well it's not too surprising, Ise. He is half devil," said Akeno, causing Vali to perk up a bit.

"Y-Y-You know about that? But barely anyone knows about it and Issei hasn't told you yet," said Vali, surprised.

"Ah, well of course I know. Aside from what I knew from before, I can feel the demonic energy from you Mr. Ket-," began Akeno before I covered her mouth with my hand.

"Akeno! It would cause Albion pain if you bring up that nickname," I said, attracting the attention of Azazel.

"Ara ara, what kind of nickname is floating around for my pupil?" asked Azazel, a curious smile on his face. I attempted to feign ignorance but he prodded me about it several times before I was finally forced to tell him.

I walked up next to Azazel and whispered it into his ear after telling him not to say it aloud. After telling him, and pulling away, he cocked a brow at me in confusion.

"Ketsuryuukou?" said Azazel, aloud, causing me to panic.

"Azazel-sensei! I told you not to say it alo- AGH!" I shouted, suddenly, when I felt a sharp pain in my head. I turned to Vali and saw him also clutching his head while Akeno moved to my side, worriedly.

[Uoooo!] sobbed Albion. [To think that the cursed word was what triggered Vali and my memory! Uooo!]

[Albion! I'm here for you! It's alright my old friend!] shouted Ddraig. I sweat-dropped at the exaggeration and then felt the headache subside.

"Dammnit, Rival. I'd appreciate it if you stopped making Albion cry so much," said Vali, annoyed.

"Huh? Vali? Why are you acting so different all of a sudden?" asked Azazel, shocked by the sudden change. Vali frowned and pointed at me.

"It's all because of this idiot Oppai Dragon," said Vali, causing my headache to come back full force.

"AGH!" I shouted in pain while Akeno called out my name and held on to me.

"Two headaches? Someone aside from Vali regained their memory?" said Yasaka, confused.

[Uoooo! This time someone's memory was activated from that accursed Oppai Dragon!] sobbed Ddraig.

[Don't worry, Ddraig! I'm here for you my friend! If we don't support each other we won't survive these terrible times!] said Albion who was still sobbing.

I could feel my headache once again dissipating and I sighed in relief and relaxed my clenched jaw.

"Ise, are you okay?" asked Akeno, worriedly. I nodded, calming her a bit, and turned to Azazel.

"Ise-kun, what's going on?" asked Azazel, suddenly, while clutching his head.

"Azazel-sensei, do you remember everything?" I asked. He nodded after a moment and then looked around.

"Yeah. Why are we back in time? I thought you were fighting Shalba," said Azazel, confused. I explained everything to him and Vali up to this point and they both squinted from what I told them at the end.

"To think Shalba had poison from Samael. We'll have to be more wary of him then," said Azazel as he thought. "Anyways, I'm assuming you have Ascalon with you which is why you couldn't tell me before. And this whole issue with the system may be from you jumping back in time. I'll have to talk to Michael about this."

"Be careful, Azazel. The alliance doesn't exist yet so you can't just meet with the other factions as you please," said Yasaka, seriously.

"I know, I know. For now, though, I think we can finally get serious with your training, Ise-kun. Now that I remember all the issues you had with training and all of how your powers work, we should go much further. Your lack of demonic power is still a bit of an issue but we will work through it," said Azazel, grinning at me. "I hope you're ready, because I'm going to have you in Balance Breaker within the year."

I stared at Azazel and nodded, both of us sporting grins.

Our moment was interrupted by Akeno saying 'Ah'. I turned and saw she had a communication magic circle next to her ear.

"Hello? Rias-sama?" began Akeno, confusing me. I guess at the beginning, Akeno called Rias more formally. "You're on your way back to the castle? I just wanted to visit my hometown and see my old shrine. Seems someone else took it over. I'll go back now to receive you. See you then. Goodbye."

The magic circle faded and Akeno turned to me.

"I'm sorry, Ise, but I have to go. Hopefully we can see each other again soon," said Akeno, longingly. I nodded and smiled at her and she opened up a magic circle, about to go back to the Gremory home. Just before she did, though, she spun around and planted a deep kiss on my lips, even popping in her tongue.

Ahhh~. This bishoujo is too much for my young body!

When she broke, there was a string of saliva connecting our mouths and she smiled at me, a bit of a sadistic look on her face and she turned around to enter the magic circle, said thing disappearing after she was through it. I stared at where she had disappeared and sighed. How I missed having times like that with the girls. I can't wait until I meet up with everyone again.

"Seems you two are back to your old selves," said Azazel, pulling me from my trance. I blushed a bit in embarrassment and then remembered something.

"Azazel-sensei, now that Akeno is gone, I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about," I said, catching his interest. I left the room and entered my own, ignoring Ophis and Kunou who were still playing video games. I opened the drawer and found the ring with the purple gem. I picked it up and ran back with it to show it to Azazel. He looked it over and then looked at me with a confused expression.

"What is this, Ise-kun?" asked Azazel.

"Put your hand on it and focus your energy on it. Then you will find out," I said. He put his hand on the ring and we both focused our energies on the ring.

 _"Eh? Ise-chan, back so soon? Oh! Azazel-kun, so good to see you again. I hope you both are doing well,"_ we both heard Shuri's voice echo. We were both snapped back into reality and I looked at Azazel who had tears streaming down his face.

"I-Ise-kun…was that…?" asked Azazel, looking like he was about to break down.

"Yeah. That was Akeno's mom, Shuri," I said, smiling. "Ophis sealed her soul in this ring after she was killed in hopes that the Grigori could revive her."

Azazel stared at me for a second and covered his mouth as more tears suddenly poured out.

"Thank you, Ise-kun. Thank you, Ophis. To be able to have the tremendous burden lifted off my shoulders," sobbed Azazel. I smiled as I watched my sensei sob in happiness and then glanced at Vali who was grinning at me. I guess even he was happy that his adopted father was relieved of the burden.

I'm so happy that I got to help my sensei after all that's happened.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I feel like the scene with Azazel wasn't that good but I always have trouble writing really emotional scenes like that. Feel free to give some suggestions in a PM if you have some ideas.**_

 _ **Also, I would appreciate it if no one put in spoilers from Gunmare's original story. I will be changing a lot from his story but I will still be using some things from his story.**_

 _ **Anyways, Review to let me know what you guys thought and until next time...byeee :D**_


	13. Volume 2 Life 0

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So, I'm not really gonna have a specific day of the week I'm going to post anymore. I'll still get a chapter out weekly but it will be one a random day of the week.**_

 _ **Anyways, this is a bit of a long chapter cause I really got into it. We're also in Volume 2 now of the story. I plan to continue the volume theme that Gunmare used in his story which is also what is used in the LN.**_

 _ **Well, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Volume 2**

 **Life.0**

 ** _Four Years Later…_**

It's been four years since I had told Azazel about how we had sealed away Shuri's soul. He told me that the cloning technology of the Grigori still wasn't advanced enough to clone a human but he immediately began to design a machine capable of doing so, only allowing a couple other members of the Grigori in on it. He worked especially hard not to let Baraqiel know because he wanted to surprise him when he finally got the technology working.

Currently, I was meditating in a special field that Azazel created. He said it was supposed to be similar to how the Rating Game fields are created but this one had more of a forest-like appearance compared to the ones I had been in. I was pulled from my meditation when I heard light rustling coming from nearby and I got to my feet while not taking my eyes off where the sound had come from. I materialized my Boosted Gear and activated the timer for my balance breaker. I had gained it around 3 years ago and had slowly been building up to be able to hold it. Right now, my timer was at 1 minute for activation and I could hold it for around 2 hours. I guess there are still some limits since I'm only a human.

Out of the brush came a large dog (and by large I mean twice as big as older me) with golden eyes that stared at me, playfully. I glanced at the timer in the jewel of my gauntlet. Ten seconds left. I could see the dog's eyes change to a more threatening gaze and he lowered himself in preparation to attack. Just as he leapt at me, my timer hit zero and a read aura blasted off of me.

[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]

My armor materialized and I threw a fist at the giant dog, smashing it into its face.

"Now, my strength, explode!" I shouted as I put all my force into the punch.

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

My punch launched the dog away from me and he blasted through two trees and into a boulder before leaping to his feet again. The dog was back in a fighting stance and I grinned.

"Jin, you're as tough as ever!" I shouted to it. Jin barked at me, happily, and I moved into a stance I usually used when using martial arts. The Canis Lycaon. One of the 13 Longinus is my sparring partner. I have to make sure I get plenty strong from these training sessions or I'll make Azazel disappointed considering he's the one who called SlashDog and Jin here for my sake.

I could see Jin bare his enormous fangs at me and I prepared to attack him again, this time with a different kind of attack. I stood erect as Jin leapt towards me and I lit a fire in my stomach after taking a giant breath.

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

And now to the fire in my stomach!

[Transfer!]

Just as Jin gets in in my face I breathe out all the fire in my stomach and it blasts out, encasing the dog in flames and decimating the greenery around us. Normally, you would think such intense flames would kill the large dog but he just leapt out of the flames and landed behind me. When I turned around, he was just shaking the flames off of him as if he had just gotten out of some rain! What kind of fur does this dog have that it wasn't even singed?!

[This isn't some opponent you can beat easily. It's a Longinus that, with SlashDog, forced Vali into using Juggernaut Drive to fight him] said Ddraig, calmly. I had a serious expression on my face as he said those words.

I know that, Ddraig! What am I supposed to do, though? I don't have Triana right now and I won't be able to get it until I get my Evil Pieces are restored.

"Alright, that's enough you two," said a voice from nearby. Jin and I stopped and we turned to find Azazel and SlashDog. I released my armor and walked to Azazel. "How do you feel, Ise-kun? You still can't do much damage to Jin, but fighting with him must help."

"I feel very good, Sensei! I think if I keep training hard against him then I will surely get stronger," I said, optimistically. I won't be able to defeat him any time soon, though…

"Alright, Azazel, if Jin and I aren't needed then we should go back to HQ," said SlashDog. Azazel nodded and SlashDog waved at me after Jin had rejoined him by his side. "Good bye, Sekiryuutei-chin. Have fun with your training."

I waved to him as he opened up a magic circle and left us. Once he was gone, Vali appeared next to Azazel and tapped him.

"Azazel, I finished scouting it out. It seems it really is tonight," said Vali with a serious expression. Azazel's expression became somber and he bit his lip.

"What's going on?" I asked, worried that even Azazel seemed to be bothered by it.

"Ah…well you see, Ise-kun, tonight is Kiba's night," said Azazel, simply. I cocked a brow at him, confused by what he meant and glanced at Vali. Vali took his hand and slid his index finger across the front of his neck. My eyes widened when I connected the Vali's motion with Azazel's words.

"I need to go," I said, seriously, while staring at Azazel. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sensei, I'm going no matter what you say."

"I know. You'll just end up sneaking out if I say no. Hell, if I put a barrier you'd probably just smash through it. It's too dangerous, though," said Azazel, wondering what to do.

"I agree," said Yasaka who had just made herself known. "It's too dangerous for you to just jump into a dangerous area such as that."

"You two really don't know my rival, do you?" said Vali, bringing attention to himself. "He doesn't go looking for danger, it comes looking for him. Plus, it's not like he isn't strong enough right now. He could easily get in and out without too much trouble."

"Fine, fine. I'll let you go, Ise-kun, but you're going on your own. We can't have Fallen Angels or Youkai just jumping into a Church facility. It'd cause major problems with Heaven," said Azazel, calmly. I nodded in understanding and he sighed again.

"You better not do anything stupid. You get caught and we're gonna have an uproar on our hands," said Vali, poking at me.

"Yeah, yeah. Get in, get everyone out with getting noticed, and don't reveal you guys to them. I know what to do I just don't know how smoothly everything will go once I get in," I said, calmly. Azazel nodded and we all left the space so I could get some things prepared.

* * *

 ** _Several hours later…_**

Azazel had teleported me one mile from the chapel where the experiments were being held. I was wearing a black cloak to hide my armor after I transformed and I had the things Azazel had given me. All of the tools were on a special belt Yasaka had made me and I took a quick look over everything.

I had two exorcist guns which would serve as weapons until I decided I needed to use my Balance Breaker. I also had a bomb that was kind of like a smoke and flash grenade combined as well as a couple of shuriken. I also had Ascalon sheathed and attached to my belt for when I needed to fight someone with a light sword.

Azazel wanted to make sure I didn't get found out so he even put a spell on my cloak to make it harder to detect me. Should be useful for getting in.

As I ran towards the chapel, I also activated a communication spell that Yasaka taught me since everyone in the chapel is either going to be speaking Italian or English and it will be easier to communicate if I can understand and speak their language.

I could see the old gothic-style chapel after a few minutes and leapt into some bushes after noticing the two guards at its entrance. I began to look around for another entrance, since I clearly wasn't going to be able to walk in through the front door, and found one of the windows was open. I peeked inside and slipped in when I found the hallway to be empty.

The first thing I did was go around and look for rooms to see if I could find Kiba and the others. I came across a room to find it so empty it made me uncomfortable. I left and found another room just to find it in a similar condition to the previous. I checked several more rooms and nothing changed.

What is going on here? I know there are supposed to be people here.

After I closed the door to the most recent room I had checked, I heard some people talking and I leapt up into the mess of beams at the ceiling of the hall and hid among them. It was dark up here so they shouldn't be able to see me. When the people came around the corner, I found two people were talking, one who looked like a servant who was writing things down and the other I immediately recognized. He was Valper Galilei, the Archbishop of Genocide and Kiba's sworn enemy. I watched the two walk further down the hall and around the corner so I followed them among the beams. I hadn't gotten to that part of the chapel so I might be able to find where I need to go by following them. I watched the two stop in front of a relatively normal looking door and Galilei put his hand against the wall before removing it. A panel opened up and a keypad popped out. I watched him punch in a code and the door opened before they entered. Before the door could close, I slipped in and hid in the shadows until the two were a decent distance away.

I then made my way downstairs and found Valper wave his servant away before entering another room by himself. He came out several minutes later and had a creepy grin on his face that made me feel like he was up to something bad. After he was out of sight I entered the room and found it to be office-like. On the walls were six swords that released an all too familiar holy aura. They were the six fragments of Excalibur and I looked them over.

Hm…I see a couple that I don't particularly remember.

I picked up one of the unfamiliar ones and began to look it over before hearing the door creak open. I spun around, wide-eyed, and I found Galilei standing there.

"W-What are you doing in here? Guards! Guards! Intruder!" shouted Galilei, causing me to cuss.

Four guards entered the room with light swords and I quickly pulled out Ascalon from my belt and properly held the Excalibur I pulled from the wall. The four guards attacked me all at once and I leapt out of the way of the attacks before spinning around and slashing at them. I was blocked by three of the guards but managed to slash the chest of one, immobilizing him. I then landed on the ground and spun around to counter two slashes aimed at me, shattering the swords of light with Ascalon and then spinning around rapidly to slash at the last armed guard which I destroyed his light sword. I then knocked out the guards by hitting them in the heads with the sides of the swords so I didn't kill them.

"How…? You have Ascalon which disappeared from Heaven seven years ago. On top of that, you are able to wield an Excalibur so well. Who are you?" asked Galilei, shocked.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you," I said, a bit coldly while completely ignoring his question. "I'm just here to end this project of yours."

Galilei looked at me, shocked, and backed away before running out of the room. I could hear him shouting for more guards and I released my Boosted Gear before activating the timer for Balance Breaker.

Kiba, I'm coming for you and all your friends. Hold out until then!

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Finally getting into the Kiba arc and then comes the Gasper arc. I hope you guys are looking forward to things as well as the changes between Gunmare and my own stories.**_

 _ **Anyways, please Review to let me know what you guys thought and until next time...byeee :D**_


	14. Volume 2 Life 1

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Primarily, I want to apologize for the shortness of this chapter as I didn't want to cut into the next segment.**_

 _ **Also, I know you guys are really looking forward to the coming chapters but please don't PM me so often about when the next chapter will be coming out. I WILL get a chapter out to you guys every week so you needn't worry so much. I do appreciate the enthusiasm, though.**_

 ** _Anyways, ENJOY!_**

* * *

 **Life.1**

I blasted my way through the guards attacking me after my timer for Balance Breaker ended and decided that there wasn't much reason to be quiet or careful anymore. I heard screaming coming from downstairs and got down to the ground and punched a hole through the wooden floorboards. I had a nice hole down to the underground part of the chapel and I looked through to find that no one was there so I ripped out the floor, dropping chunks of wood downstairs, before jumping down. I all but ripped the door out of the way and exited the room before finding myself in a large room with table and little cots along the edges. There were exorcists harassing the children and I created dragon shots in both my hands before launching them at the exorcists.

"W-Who are you?" asked one of the children, frightened.

"I'm a friend. I'm here to get you all out of here before Valper gives the order to kill you," I said, seriously. The kids' faces seemed to go pale and I knocked out another exorcist.

"B-But…I know that we all failed to wield Excalibur but to kill us…? Are you serious?" said another kid, causing me to clench my teeth. That bastard, Valper. I can't believe he was actually going to kill all of these kids for just failing at being able to use Excalibur. I saw Valper enter with nearly ten exorcists and he gasped when he saw me in my armor.

"W-What? Isn't that the armor of the Sekiryuutei? Why is the Sekiryuutei here?! On top of that, how is it that a dragon-slaying sword, such as Ascalon, be used by someone with the power of a dragon?" said Valper, shocked.

"Valper! If you want to live then you should let me take these children out of here. If you do, then I won't hurt you," I said, seriously. Valper's expression changed to a darker one and he waved the exorcists forward.

"Are you kidding me? These kids know a lot about Excalibur and participated in this secret project. I'd rather they be dead then let you have them," said Valper, seriously. "ATTACK!"

I cussed under my breath and launched two powerful dragon shots at one of the walls away from the kids. It blew up the wall and created an exit for them, though it filled the room with smoke.

"Everyone get out of here! I made an exit so leave!" I shouted before reequipping myself with the Excalibur I picked up and Ascalon. I heard the kids scream and saw them running away so I launched myself at the exorcists.

As I crossed swords with the two exorcists, I could hear gun shots flying everywhere and I cussed under my breath. I came here so that Kiba's friends wouldn't have had to suffer the fate they did but in the end I haven't been able to save them. I defeated one of the exorcists and looked around. Almost half of the kids were dead and most of them were running out through the whole. I could feel my eyes tearing up at the sight of the dead kids but I didn't have time to cry for them. I needed to at least make sure Kiba got out of here. I looked around for him and found him on the other side of the room on his knees with a terrified look in his eyes. I saw someone point a gun at him and fire so I ran over to him.

[Jet!]

I was launched over to him and took the shot head on, the bullet bouncing off my armor.

"Oi! What are you doing? I know this is a scary situation but you need to get out of here," I shouted. Kiba just sat there, still in shock, and I growled. Before I could say anything, though, an exorcist jumped at us with his light sword and I sliced into him with Ascalon, causing some blood to splash out onto Kiba. He looked at the blood on him and fainted, causing me to cuss for the millionth time that night. I picked him up and threw his limp body over my shoulder before blasting out of the room.

I'm sorry Kiba. I not only couldn't save your friends, but I'm also taking you away from Rias. Forgive me my friend!

* * *

I made it back to Kyoto a little while later, finding the portal back open at the exact time Yasaka said she was going to open it. I released my armor as soon as I got there and collapsed to the ground with Kiba, panting from how tired I was.

"Ise-kun!"

"Issei-sama!" said Azazel and Yasaka respectively. Both ran over to me and Azazel helped me up while Yasaka checked on Kiba. They both helped me inside and Kunou dragged Kiba away to clean him up while I rested against the wall.

"Ise-kun, what happened? Why did you bring Kiba back and where are the kids?" asked Azazel, receiving a depressed look from me. He frowned and put his hands on my shoulders. "It's not your fault. You did what you could."

"Arara, Issei-sama, what is this that you brought back with you?" said Yasaka in what I assumed was an attempt to distract me. Azazel seemed surprised by the Excalibur fragment that Yasaka was showing off and he ran to it.

"Ise-kun…you _stole_ one of the Excalibur fragments? Do you even know which one you stole?" said Azazel, shocked. I shook my head, not really remembering what any of them looked like since most of them looked fairly similar to each other. "This is Excalibur Rapidly. Did you use this sword after you stole it? If you did then that means that a wielder of Ascalon really can use an Excalibur."

Ah…I forgot that only certain people can wield Excalibur. I guess that makes me one of the wielders.

"This could actually be really good for you. One of the biggest problems about you having a timer for your Balance Breaker is that you can't fight properly. Even with Ascalon, you aren't fast. If you could master using this Excalibur, you could fight much better outside of Balance Breaker," explained Azazel. I was shocked. It was true that if I wasn't in Balance Breaker, I was really slow and weak so I was generally an easy target. I was learning swordsmanship as a way to deal with that weakness but if I can also become faster then I should be able to fight much easier.

Kunou came in and called Yasaka to follow her and I cocked a brow in curiosity but just let them deal with Kiba. After several minutes, though, they came back, even Ophis joining them.

"Issei-sama, do you mind coming with us?" asked Yasaka, a confused expression on her face. I got up with help from Azazel and we all followed Yasaka.

"How is Kiba doing? Is something wrong?" I asked, worriedly.

"Well…your friend…was he not a boy when we last saw him?" asked Yasaka, confusing me.

"What? Of course he was a boy! I'm sure he was a boy!" I said, not understanding why she was asking such a thing. She put on a complicated expression and opened the door to the room Kunou had been tending to Kiba. I found him lying on a mat on the ground and looked him over before being surprised by something. "W-What?!"

Kiba not only had small, developing breasts but he also lacked something from down under. Kunou pulled a small blanket over him (or as I now know a she) to cover his (her) naked body while I gaped.

"It seems something may have happened with your young friend," said Yasaka, smiling awkwardly.

"No, Ise just brought the wrong one," said Ophis, bluntly.

Brought the wrong one?! You can say that again!

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I know it wasn't much of a difference from the original but I liked the way Gunmare wrote it so I didn't find a need to change it. I may change Yumi (the girl that Ise mistakenly took for those who don't know)'s personality a bit more to my liking. I also changed the Excalibur because you do have to remember that one of Ise's iconic traits is that he's the honest idiot. I think a complicated sword like Excalibur Nightmare would be a bit much for him. Rapidly suits him more and I did bring up some valid points when Ise was thinking about how to use it.**_

 _ **Anyways, Review to let me know what you guys thought and until next time...byeee :D**_


	15. Volume 2 Life 2

_**Hey guys MT here!**_

 _ **I'm really sorry for being so late and I do have both chapters for the last two weeks. These past two weeks have literally been ridiculous. I've had non-stop tests and papers so I was REALLY booked.**_

 _ **Also, I've decided to create a Twitter for my accounts of Fanfiction, Youtube, and Deviantart. Since I'mnot as active on the latter two, it will mostly be used for you guys to communicate with me and vice versa. I hope you all will use it to keep in touch outside of fanfiction!**_ _ **Just look up:**_ ** _Mega_Trainer07 on Twitter and hit the one with my profile pic!_**

 _ **Remove the spaces and that's the link!**_

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.2**

 ** _A few months later…_**

Some time has passed since I failed to save Kiba's friends during the Holy Sword Project massacre. Despite failing, though, I was nicknamed the Red Liberator Dragon by the Church in honor for stopping the terrible experiments on the children. I don't really think I deserve such a nickname after how I failed but Ddraig has been assuring me time and time again that there was only so much I could have done. It doesn't make me feel any better about it though.

Oh! I also found out that Kiba had safely returned to Rias' peerage from Akeno. She had heard about what happened and wanted to make sure I was okay.

Well, anyways, I don't have much time to worry about such things, though, as I am currently on an important mission. I'm currently in Romania. Azazel told me all about Gasper and how he and Rias met. He also told me about someone who was close to Gasper before they were separated and now I am going to try and help her. I don't want to fail at helping my friends so I've worked very hard to prepare for this.

"Ugh, this fog is so difficult to see through," I said, annoyed that my vision was so obscured. I could barely see my hand right in front of me.

[Don't you have the special glasses Azazel gave you?] said Ddraig, causing me to grin. I forgot that he had given me special glasses to help me see better.

I slipped on the glasses and the foggy vision was instantly replaced with a relatively clear vision. I could see dark, dead trees surrounding me and found myself a bit lost. Azazel said he was going to teleport me a distance away from the Tepes faction's location since it would be dangerous to just waltz in but I wasn't really sure where I was.

As I looked around, I heard a tree branch break and spun around, ready to attack whoever was there. I froze, though, when I saw someone familiar.

"Is that…Gasper?" I asked myself as I saw a younger version of Gasper running while dragging along a blond bishoujo.

The bishoujo was clearly a vampire from her red eyes, pale skin, and barely visible fangs. Her platinum hair was flowing behind her and she looked a little older than me.

I watched them run after sliding behind a tree and saw the girl trip on one of the roots of the dead trees. She fell down and released Gasper's hand and I squinted at her, seeing that her ankle was stretched a bit too much in a direction it shouldn't have been. I don't think she broke it, but she wouldn't be able to walk on it after this.

"Valerie!" shouted Gasper after turning back to her. So her name was Valerie? She must be the good friend Azazel was talking about. "Valerie, get up! We're almost at the bridge. If we can cross it, then they won't be able to catch up to us!"

Gasper began to pull at her hand to try and help her up but Valerie hissed in pain when she tried to put any weight on her messed up ankle. She looked at Gasper with sad eyes and put a hand to his face.

"Gasper, you have to go without me. I can't run anymore," said Valerie, seriously.

"No! I don't want to leave you, Valerie! I don't know if I could make it out without you!" shouted Gasper, his eyes filling with tears. Valerie looked at him with pleading eyes and mouthed something I didn't quite catch. "No! I won't leave you!"

"Run! Run, Gasper, run! Do it for me! Whether or not I live doesn't matter if you do! So go and live, Gasper!" shouted Valerie. Gasper looked at her with wide-eyes, tears streaming down his face and he tightly gripped her hand before letting it go and running away, shouting out a 'Raaaah' as he did so. Once Gasper was far enough away, I could see Valerie smile, sadly, in his direction. "You're such a good boy, Gasper. I'm sorry I won't be able to be there for you anymore."

Don't worry, Gasper. I'll be sure to reunite you and Valerie some day.

"That took a lot of courage, sending him away while you remained behind," I said, finally making myself known. Valerie tensed when she saw me and crawled back a bit, fear in her red eyes.

"A-Are you one of those vampire hunters?" she asked, confusing me. I cocked a brow at her in confusion and she pointed at my waist. Ah, I forgot, I was wearing my exorcist equipment in case I needed to fight.

"No, no. I just have this to protect myself in case I got attacked. Don't worry, I don't plan to hurt you. In fact, Gasper would be mad at me if I did," I said, confusing her. I panicked a bit as I might've been revealing a bit too much and moved on. "A-Anyways, I'm actually here to rescue you. I heard about you and Gasper being around here and wanted to save you. Don't worry about Gasper, he'll be in good hands."

"H-Huh? You heard about us? Then why would you want to save me? Aside from being the daughter of a vampire lord and being a half breed, I'm ostracized by both humans and vampires alike," said Valerie, sadly. I frowned at the sad face she had put on and walked over to her before placing a hand on her shoulder.

"None of that matters to me. You're a good person, you proved that by what you did for Gasper. I always want to protect those with a kind heart," I said, seriously. She blushed a bit at what I said and turned away muttering out things like 'We've had such a hard life' and 'Everyone always hated us'. I smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder a bit to get her attention again. "Why don't I bring you back with me so that you can have a life where you are loved?"

Valerie stared at me in disbelief and I removed my hand from her shoulder before putting it out in front of me. She looked down at my hand and then up at my face.

"Will Gasper really be going to a good home?" she asked, a bit suspiciously. I nodded and she smiled, showing her fangs a bit. She then put her hand in mine and then smiled more brightly. "Please take me with you."

I smiled brightly and then helped her up before guiding her to a tree she could lean on for support.

"Just give me one minute," I said, confusing her. I turned towards the direction Gasper and Valerie had previously been running from and grinned before shouting out. "Did you all hear that?! She's coming with me so you can just go home!"

Out from the shadows came around ten vampires, all cloaked in black.

"A human," hissed one of the vampires.

"What are you doing here?" hissed another.

"Give us the girl and we might let you leave," said another.

"Didn't you hear? She wants to come with me and, since you all are probably just going to kill her, she would be better off just leaving," I said, still smiling.

"Better off? Who cares about her happiness? She's just an idiotic female half-breed who dishonored her house by running away," said one of the vampires, causing my smile to darken, significantly. I saw a couple vampires back away from seeing my face darken in such a way and the vampire who had said that frowned at me.

"Excuse me but who do you think you are saying such a thing about such a nice girl? Who cares about her happiness? What would you do if I said that _I_ do?" I asked, venomously. The vampires all glared at me and hissed before moving into a battle stance.

"Then we'll just kill you and then no one will care about her happiness," said one of the vampires. They all leapt at me and I quickly grabbed my exorcist guns, releasing my Boosted Gear at the same time.

[Boost!]

[Boost!]

I increased the power of both my guns and began to fire at parts of their bodies, putting a couple out of commission. Four vampires continued at me directly while 3 more moved around to my sides. I holstered my guns and pulled out Ascalon and Excalibur Rapidly, the latter increasing my speed, and sliced at the four vampires in front of me, severely injuring them. The final four vampires stopped when they saw what I did to their comrades and stared at me with wide eyes.

"He has two holy swords?!" hissed one of the vampires.

"And powerful ones at that!" hissed another.

"Take your injured and tend to them before I do something I'm going to regret," I said, coldly, causing the four vampires to stagger backwards. I watched them pick up their injured and pull them away from me, fearful that I may carry out my words. Once they were far enough, I sheathed Ascalon and pulled out a wooden stick with many symbols on it before snapping it in half and tossing it away. A large magic circle appeared where I tossed it and I turned to Valerie. "We can escape through this. Come one."

I lent Valerie my shoulder and we two entered the portal, finally leaving the ugly landscape of the vampire's home.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Sorry it's a bit short but the second chapter in this double chapter is longer. I just didn't want to cut into the next scene too much.**_

 _ **Anyways, please Review to let me know how I did and go check out the second chapter of this double chapter!**_


	16. Volume 2 Life 3

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **This is the second chapter of the double chapter!**_

 ** _Just another reminder to please check out the new Twitter I started out so that we can communicate better!_**

 ** _Anyways, ENJOY!_**

* * *

 **Life.3**

Valerie and I exited the magic circle inside of Yasaka's home and I found Yumi standing there.

"Welcome back, Ise-sama. I hope you weren't in too much trouble," said Yumi sweetly. I grinned at her and helped Valerie to the side so she could sit down. "Is she injured? I can get the first aid box."

"Please," I said, causing her to run off. I looked at Valerie's ankle after taking off her shoe and found that it was badly swollen. As I tried to touch it, she hissed. "Is it that bad?"

"A-A little. I can't believe I had done such a thing at such an important time," said Valerie, somberly. I muttered out a 'Don't worry about it' and Yumi came back in with the first aid kit. She began to work on Valerie's ankle, said vampire hissing in pain as she did so.

"By the way, Valerie, my name is Issei in case you didn't hear before. The one fixing you up is Yumi. I hope you two can get along," I said, smiling. She looked away and nodded before I got up. "I'm going to go and get the master of the house so please wait here, okay?"

She nodded again and I left to go and get Yasaka, Azazel, and Vali. I brought the three back and found Yumi was just finishing up wrapping Valerie up.

"Valerie, this is Yasaka, leader of the youkai here in Kyoto, this is Azazel, current Governor of the Fallen Angels, and Vali the current Hakuryuukou," I said. "Ah, also, I forgot to mention that I'm the current Sekiryuutei."

Valerie's mouth was wide open after I introduced everyone and she remained that way for a moment, not even reacting when I waved my hand in front of her.

"Ise!" shouted Kunou after suddenly entering. I turned to her and found her with a few youkai children who had Ophis hostage. "Please help us punish Ophis! She was cheating at cards again!"

Again? What kind of Dragon God is this that she needs to cheat against little kids?

"Kunou, we have a guest," scolded Yasaka, causing Kunou to jump. She turned to Valerie and bowed.

"Forgive my rudeness. I'm Kunou, pleased to meet you," said Kunou.

"N-Nice to meet you. I'm Valerie," said Valerie, receiving a smile from Kunou. Valerie tugged at my pants leg and I bent down to listen to what she was going to say.

"Those kids…are they all different youkai? And they're getting together so well?" said Valerie in disbelief.

"Yeah. I told you, as long as you're a good person, it doesn't matter what you are," I said, smiling brightly at her. She stared at me and her eyes teared up a bit.

"Thank you for bringing me here," said Valerie, her voice full of emotion. I smiled and patted her head before she leaned into me before suddenly becoming sleepy from how tired she was.

* * *

 ** _Some time later…_**

I had carried Valerie over to a room to sleep after that and Azazel had asked me to come with him for something. We had to come to the Fallen Angels side of the Underworld for something, though he refused to tell me.

Vali, Azazel, and I entered a hospital and I became suspicious as to why they had brought me here.

"Alright, Ise-kun. I need you to be calm and cool, alright?" said Azazel just before opening the door to one of the rooms. I nodded and he opened it completely before I walked in. I found a familiar bishoujo lying on the bed and my eyes widened in surprise.

"K-Kuroka?" I said, shocked.

"Nyeh? Ah, Vali nyaa. You're back," said Kuroka, her voice sounding weak and a bit slurred.

"What happened to her?" I whispered back to Azazel.

"Ah well, Vali had found her and ended up having to watch Kuroka kill her master to protect Koneko. After she had run away, he approached her and told her he could help her so that she would no longer have to run from the devil government," explained Azazel. I cocked a brow at him in confusion and he knew what I wanted to know. How exactly did you help her? "We removed her Evil Pieces."

"W-What?" I asked in shock.

"The Grigori has the technology to do so, but it takes someone with an exceptionally strong will and body to be able to survive the surgery. The reason she was being charged in such a way is because she was a Stray devil right? Well, now she's just a pure nekoshou."

"Vali, who is that with you? I recognize Azazel but that one there…isn't he the Sekiryuutei?" asked Kuroka.

"Yeah. Don't worry about him, just worry about resting," said Vali as he walked over to her bedside. She seemed happy for his concern and I looked at Azazel again.

"Why is she so weak? Even if the surgery was bad, she could just use senjutsu to recover, couldn't she?" I asked.

"Well, the problem isn't really her body. The surgery puts the patient under an insane level of pain. She worn to bone mentally. It will take a while before she's back to normal," explained Azazel, causing me to look over at her with pity in my eyes.

"I wish I could have been there to help them," I said, sadly. "Then Koneko wouldn't have had to watch her sister do such things."

"You know Shirone?" asked Kuroka after hearing me mention 'sister'. I nodded and she seemed to become more energetic. "Is she alright? How is she? The bad devils didn't hurt her, right?"

"She should be under the custody of Maou Sirzechs and the Gremory group. She'll be fine," I said, reassuringly. She relaxed back into the bed at my words, her eyes tearing up.

"Thank goodness. If it's those passionate Gremory then I know she's in a good place," said Kuroka, her eyes beginning to look sleepy.

"Get some rest, Kuroka. We'll be back again soon," said Vali. The sleepy nekoshou nodded and closed her eyes, a few tears making their way down her cheeks. We all left the room quietly and stood out in the hall to talk.

"She seems to be recovering a bit faster than expected. It must be the worry for her sister," said Azazel. I nodded at his words. Kuroka was always so worried about his sister so it wouldn't have been surprising if it affected her in such a way. I then looked over at Vali and remembered how he was speaking to her. His voice sounded gentler than I remember when he had spoken to her before.

"Hey, Rival, you were being a little soft when you were talking to her," I teased, his face becoming a bit somber.

"I pity her a lot right now. After watching what had happened, I understand Kuroka's pain much more than before. On top of that, I was present for her surgery and saw how much pain she was willing to go through in order to keep the devils off her in hopes of being able to see her sister again," said Vali. I stared at him, surprised he was being so compassionate about one of his comrades.

"She could use your support, Rival. Make sure you give it to her," I said after throwing my arm around his shoulder.

"Well, you shouldn't count yourself out, Ise-kun. She'll be coming to you a lot, too, now that she knows you know about her sister. She's going to need that relief," said Azazel.

"I'm almost jealous that my rival can help my comrade more than I can," joked Vali, causing me to laugh awkwardly. I guess that's a bit true.

"Anyways, why don't we continue your training, Ise-kun, and when Kuroka is feeling better, we can all return to Kyoto," said Azazel, receiving nods form both me and Vali.

* * *

A few days later, Kuroka had checked out of the hospital finally feeling well enough to go. Vali and I had been visiting her on and off for those few days, my entire time with her spent talking about Koneko. She mentioned a few times that she could also smell Koneko's scent on me but I wasn't really sure how she could if I hadn't even seen her yet. Maybe it was a nekoshou thing.

Anyways, we're now back in Kyoto and I was in my room going through a book that Yasaka gave me about simple magic. Since I'm still learning how to use it, it would be good to read as much as I can on it. Well, I'm trying to learn.

"Nyaaa~ I'm so boreddddd," whined Kuroka as she stretched out on my futon.

"Then go and play with the kids or Vali. I'm trying to study," I said, annoyed. Ever since we got back, Kuroka had stuck to me like glue. Vali said it's because she's attracted to my personality but this bishoujo is driving me crazy when I'm trying to study.

I suddenly felt glorious oppai press into my back and shivered in delight.

"C'mon now Mr. Sekiryuutei-kun. I know you want to play with nyaa~," said Kuroka, teasingly. I became distracted by her soft and voluptuous oppai but I managed to nap out of it before shaking my head.

"K-Kuroka! I really need to study. I don't have time to play around with your amazing oppai," I said, causing her to pout.

"How come?" she asked before looking down at what I was reading. "If you need help with magic I could always help out. Nyai'm really good at it!"

"That would be a great idea," said Azazel after suddenly walking in. "Since we don't really have anyone too good at magic, it would be great to have someone to help train him."

"What's wrong, sensei? Do you need something?" I asked. Usually, Azazel didn't come into my room unless he needed me for something so I was just assuming.

"Not really for something. Vali and I just had a little discussion and I thought I'd tell you about it while Vali was training," explained Azazel, catching my attention. I prodded him to go on and he sat down next to the table I was studying at. "Well, Ise-kun, you didn't have a familiar back when you were a devil, correct?"

"Eh? Well, no. There were a few times I almost got one but they were 'too lewd' as the girls had said," I said.

"Nyeh? Sekiryuutei-kun was a devil?" asked Kuroka, confused.

"It's something we'll explain to you eventually but it's really complicated, Kuroka," said Azazel. She conceded with that response, though I could tell she wasn't happy about it. "Anyways, Vali and I were talking about it and we thought it would be a good idea if you tried to make a contract with Kuroka here."

"Huh?" I said before pointing at Kuroka. "Eh?"

"Kuroka, you have a good impression of Ise-kun here, right?" asked Azazel.

"Yup~. He told me lots of stuff about Shirone and he's a really nice guy. I also like messing with him," said Kuroka, smiling brightly before pulling my face into her cleavage. I was surprised by the sudden action but enjoyed her soft oppai and nice smell while she and Azazel continued to talk.

"Then what would you think about becoming his familiar? He's a little perverted but I think it would be good for you to make a pact," said Azazel, causing to Kuroka to begin thinking. I was still enjoying Kuroka's oppai, forgetting about the situation that was going on just behind me. "You know, Vali told me you want to bear strong children. If you did it with a Heavenly Dragon, I'm sure your children would be incredibly strong."

"EHH?!" I shouted as I ripped myself from Kuroka's comfortable pillow. "What are you talking about sensei?!"

"Hmm…? Having the Sekiryuutei's babies would be nice. Aside from being part dragon they would be part _Heavenly_ dragon. I like it!" said Kuroka, excitedly. EHHHH?! What are you agreeing to?! "I would love to make a master servant pact with Sekiryuutei-kun but I have a couple conditions aside from baby-making."

"W-What are they?" I asked, tired of trying to deny the conversation the two had had without me.

"First, I want you to help me reunite with Shirone. It doesn't have to be any time soon but I want it to happen whenever you can. Secondly," began Kuroka, holding up to fingers while staring me in the eyes. "Please don't treat me like my last master did."

I frowned a bit as I looked at her after hearing those words and I smiled before putting a hand on her head.

"You'll never have to worry about that second one and I'll definitely reunite you and your sister. I swear on my life," I said. Kuroka smiled, brightly and then hugged my head into her chest.

"Thank you Sekiryuutei-kun! I'll be a good servant and help you lots!" said Kuroka, happily. I was flustered after being pulled into her chest but I was also really happy because I got to help Kuroka feel at least a little better. I really have to work hard to make sure my friends can suffer as little as possible.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I'm basically following Gunmare's story at the moment with some minor tweaks. It will probably start changing next chapter since I don't like how he went about the next sections of the story.**_

 _ **Anyways, Review to let me know how I did and until next time...byeee :D**_


	17. Volume 2 Life 4

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Okay, first of all, I would like to apologize for not posting in so long. I had been having a lot of trouble with how to go about continuing this story, as well as continuing my others, and I thought I'd take a short hiatus to really think about what I have next for this story. I finally feel like I have a more solid base to work off of to continue this story and I hope I haven't lost too many of you along the way.**_

 _ **As for the Twitter I created that I had talked about last time, I noticed that I got 3 followers but I wanted to know, is Twitter a good place outside of fanfic to inform you guys about what's going on with chapters. I want to know if there is another place that might be better like Facebook, etc. Please let me know so you guys don't have to sit there wondering!**_

 _ **Anyways, I have two chapters for you today so ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.4**

It's been about a month since Kuroka and I made our little pact, it being unofficial until I became a devil. I've spent a majority of that time training with Azazel in power, Yasaka in technique, and Kuroka in magic. For magic, I've mostly been working in fire magic since I'm more familiar with it. I still can't produce anything as powerful as the fire when I used my demonic power but baby steps I guess.

Currently, I was meditating in the Japanese garden outside of Yasaka's home, it being a good place to meditate since it was practically silent. As I meditated, I could hear the grass rustle and I perked up. I could just barely sense someone's presence a short distance from me and I pivoted my ear a little as I followed them. I heard what sounded like creaking wood faintly coming from the person and I threw my hand up after hearing a snap, catching something in my hand. When I opened my eyes, I was gripping an arrow in my hand and I grinned.

"You were close, Yumi!" I praised. A girl who looked similar to Kiba popped out of the bushes across a small pond from me, smiling.

"Thanks Issei! It's because you're always participating in my training!" said Yumi, happily. Yumi, not long after coming back from seeing Kuroka in the hospital, had woken up and she warmed up to me after realizing I had saved her from the 'Cursed Chapel' as I've been calling it. I told her what happened to a majority of her friends and she wasn't happy about it but I told her I knew about one that was alive and well. I told her we'd eventually be able to see him and she got really excited. Not long after, Azazel said something to her and she decided to train alongside me. Azazel suggested she take up a hunter approach and he arranged for Artemis, the Greek archery goddess, to support her as a favor to him. Yumi is working hard on her stealth and even I'm having trouble noticing her presence.

"Have you been praying to Artemis every night like Azazel-sensei told you? He said that was one of the few things she asked of you," I said, wanting to make sure she was doing everything properly. It wasn't often that you had a major god support you and I didn't want Yumi to miss out.

"Yes, Issei. I do it every night under the moonlight. I want to be useful to you so I have to make sure I get everything I can to get stronger," said Yumi, happily, though causing me to frown. Why does she want to be useful to me? In fact, I want to be useful to her. And Kiba. I want to reunite them to at least take a little bit of the weight off my close friend's shoulders.

"Ise-sama!" said a voice from behind me, causing me to jump in surprise. I turned around to find Valerie running over to me. "Ise-sama, Azazel-sama wants to speak with you. He asked me to get you."

"Alright, Valerie, thanks. Also, you don't have to add –sama to the end of my name. It's a bit too formal for my taste," I said, sheepishly. Having Ravel and Yasaka say that was already a bit much for me so I'd rather not have another.

"But Ise-sama is my savior and the one I'm devoted to so why shouldn't I be formal?" said Valerie, putting a finger to her chin and tilting her head in confusion. Uooooh! What are you doing looking at me with such a cute expressionnnnn?!

"A-A-Anyways, let's go and see sensei," I said, trying to distract myself. I quickly made my way inside, both girls following me closely as we walked. Aside from Yumi being close to me, Valerie also took a shine to me. After I rescued her, she had been trying to help me with things like cooking and cleaning as well as dressing my wounds after training. Yasaka and Azazel didn't go too easy on me because they wanted to help me grow as fast as possible.

"Ah, Ise-kun," said Azazel after we came into view. "Come on in. I have some news."

"What is it, sensei? Is something going on?" I asked, worried.

"Well, there are two things and I think I'm going to give the good news first. Your little girlfriend is finally here in Japan to stay," said Azazel, surprising me.

Rias is here in Japan already? Well, I guess it would make sense since she's a year ahead of me. She should be starting in Kuoh soon meaning I don't have much longer before we meet again.

"Now, before I lose you in some perverted fantasy, there is some…well I guess it could be considered bad news," said Azazel, catching my attention I prodded him on and he leaned back. "Heaven is having a problem with the System. It's gotten to a point where they've contacted the Grigori for help."

"What's happening to it? And if something happens to the System, doesn't it affect the Sacred Gears?" I asked, worried.

"Basically, yes. You won't lose your Sacred Gears but a lot of them may be lost because those people that die with them will take it with them. The issue here, though, isn't something that will damage the System or even some kind of malfunction. The System is trying to perform some action that it's never performed before and, from what I know from Michael, shouldn't be," explained Azazel. I stared at him with a confused expression and he locked eyes with me. "It's trying to create angels."

"Huh? I thought, aside from the Brave Saints system, only God from the Bible had that power," I said, confused.

"That's what we thought. Though God did have a lot of secrets that he kept from even the Seraph. He could have added it in and made it so it would activate under certain conditions. What kind of conditions could they be, though? And will the System even be able to create an angel," said Azazel, visually frustrated. I watched as Azazel struggled with his thoughts and I went into my own thoughts. The fact that this is happening now and didn't happen in the original timeline means it could be reacting to Ophis and my time travel. I mean, that's the only thing that's different, right?

"What should we do, Azazel?" asked Yasaka, worriedly.

"For now, nothing. Michael has provided the Grigori with information on the System and what it has been doing. They haven't provided much on the System since that would be dangerous to them but they have provided a lot on the noticeable malfunctions. Since we aren't allowed into that part of Heaven, all we can do is theorize and hope for the best. Nobody wants the System to fall since it would cause catastrophic problems in all worlds, Heaven, Earth, and Hell," said Azazel, calmly.

So we just wait it out…who knows what could happen though. I guess there's nothing I could really do, though. I don't understand these kinds of complicated matters so it's better to leave it to sensei.

"What should we do then, Azazel-sama? Should we just continue training?" asked Valerie, curiously.

"Well, I would normally say that but I think I want Ise-kun to meet Michael," said Azazel, surprising everyone. "I think the abnormality with the System could have been caused by Ise-kun and Ophis time traveling so it might be a good idea to see how he affects the System by going to Heaven. Ophis, on the other hand, should remain hidden since I don't think Michael would be too happy to see the Dragon God herself."

"Wouldn't that be bad, though, if you introduced me? Then Heaven would think I was a part of your faction and it might start something," I said, worriedly. Michael-san can be pretty calm about things from what I remember but he might not be happy knowing that the Fallen Angel faction has both the Hakuryuukou _and_ the Sekiryuutei.

"Thing is, you're not a part of my faction. To prove it, Yasaka will be meeting Michael with me," said Azazel, smirking over at Yasaka. She put on a sour expression and grinned at him.

"You can be quite sly, Azazel, but I don't have too much of an issue with it as long as it doesn't cause problems for my faction," said Yasaka. He grinned at her and I looked between them. Yasaka didn't seem too happy to be dragged into Azazel's plans but it doesn't seem like there is a way out for her without causing me trouble.

"Alright, it's settled then, we'll meet with Michael soon," said Azazel as he rose up. "Just sit tight and wait for me. I'll let you know as soon as we make contact."

Azazel opened up a magic circle and disappeared through it, leaving us to ourselves. Valerie, Yumi, and I decided to go back to training while Yasaka went to prepare somethings. This is going to get hectic if it doesn't go well.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Yo," said Azazel as he turned the corner into the garden that I usually meditated in.

"Hey, sensei, how're things going with Michael-san?" I asked, relaxing my posture.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" said Azazel as he nonchalantly pointed behind him with his thumb. Right as he was walking away from where he had turned the corner, I saw Michael-san walk around, his holy presence setting me a little on edge. I guess I'm still reacting how I did as a devil.

"Hello there, Sekiryuutei Hyoudou Issei-kun," said Michael-san, calmly. I immediately jumped to my feet and bowed, awkwardly, to him. He chuckled at my reaction and tapped my shoulder after coming closer. "Relax, child, Azazel told me about some things and we came to discuss."

I nodded at him and we all entered and sat down. Currently, Michael-san, Azazel, Yasaka, Valerie, Yumi, Vali, and I were all sitting together at a small table in Yasaka's sitting room. Kunou came in after a couple minutes of awkward silence, carrying a tray of tea cups and tea. She gave the tea out and the slight tension in the room seemed to relax a bit.

"Well, Hyoudou-kun, may I ask about what Azazel has told me?" asked Michael-san, curiously.

"What has he told you?" I asked, wondering how much Azazel revealed.

"That you came from the future by some means that he is unable to reveal to me and that he theorizes that your presence in this world could be the cause of the System's misbehavior. Oh, and of course that you are the Sekiryuutei and wielder of Ascalon," explained Michael-san.

"Ah, sorry if that last part caused you trouble. When I came here, I just had Ascalon," I said, apologetically. He raised a hand in reassurance and I relaxed a bit. I guess he was okay with giving me the sword. "Well, I did come from the future by a magic I can't really talk about but I'm not sure what I can help with."

"Well, that is true. This has never happened before so even I am unsure of what to do. Azazel suggested bringing you to Heaven might prove that you are the cause of its abnormal behavior but I fear you getting closer to the System may cause even greater issues," said Michael-san, the worry clear on his face.

"But you should also think of the possibility of him going there would fix the problem, Michael-sama," interjected Yasaka. That's true. Maybe the cause of this could also be the thing that fixes it. Michael-san seemed to think about that possibility as well and he nodded in understanding before taking a sip of his tea.

"In the end it's up to you, Michael, but you might want to act fast. We don't know what waiting could do to the System," said Azazel, seriously. Michael seemed to zone out as he thought and at least a few minutes passed before he looked up to respond.

"I will inform the other Seraph and will call for you in an hour. I trust that Hyoudou-kun will help us," said Michael-san, calmly. "After all, I do not believe Ascalon would choose someone unworthy to assist us."

Azazel nodded at him and grinned before Michael-san got up and left through a magic circle. I sat there, nervous. I didn't know what I should do and I'm worried me going to Heaven will just cause more problems. Maybe time traveling wasn't the best idea.

"Ise-kun," said Azazel, catching my attention. "Whatever regrets you're having right now, throw them out. It's too late to do anything about them so just make the most out of the decision you made."

I stared at Azazel for a minute after he said those words and nodded, a grin on my face. He's right. All I can do is hope for the best and try as hard as I can to work hard. Now we just have to wait for Michael-san to return and then everything can begin.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I hope this didn't seem too out of the blue but I set it up a while ago and wanted to connect it.**_

 _ **Anyways, for more please check out the second chapter!**_


	18. Volume 2 Life 5

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Here's the second chapter so ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.5**

Michael-san came back a little bit later than an hour after he left and he brought a small bag.

"Hello everyone. Forgive my lateness but I had a bit of trouble with the other Seraphs. Gabriel aside, Uriel and Raphael weren't too happy," said Michael-san. "In order to enter Heaven and not cause the System to attack or harass you in any way."

"The halos right?" asked Azazel as Michael-san reached into the small bag he came with. Michael-san nodded and pulled out a golden halo from the bag. It glowed brightly and I stared at it, awed. I thought it would be really cool to have a halo but, since I was a devil, I never thought there would be a chance for me to wear one. I hope Asia and Xenovia don't get jealous when I tell them about this.

Azazel took the first halo, looking at it with a little bit of disgust, before the rest of us received our own. I placed it over my head and it locked into place, surprising me.

"Alright, everyone, we will now transport to Heaven. We will have to enter through the First Heaven, but once there we can transport directly to my office in the Sixth Heaven. Please remain close to me and do not wander off," said Michael-san. Azazel, Yumi, Valerie, Vali, and I got closer to him, Yasaka wanting to stay behind to watch Kyoto. Michael-san created a large magic circle below all of our feet and we were swallowed up by a bright light.

* * *

 _Michael's POV_

I transported everyone into the First Heaven and waved to the gate guardian before turning to everyone.

"Alright, now we will be teleporting to my office in the Sixth Heaven. The Seraph should be waiting there so we can discuss the issues with the System," I explained, receiving understanding nods from everyone. I smiled and then activated another magic circle, all of us disappearing in a bright light. When the light faded, we found ourselves in my office and in the back were Uriel and Raphael, still looking displeased with the decision. Gabriel was leaning against my desk and smiled brightly at our return.

"Hello, Michael-sama. Glad you've returned. Uriel and Raphael-san have had sour looks since you left," said Gabriel, pouting. I sighed a bit but turned to them.

"Com now, you two. You both conceded to my idea so please do not hold a grudge," I said in an attempt to appease them. They sighed and nodded before prodding me on. "Alright then, I've brought Azazel as well as both Heavenly dragons and two of the Sekiryuutei's friends."

"So five in total? Why do I only count four?" asked Raphael, surprising me. I spun around to look for Hyoudou-kun but found he was lacking. Azazel had a similar expression on his face and I turned to the other Seraph.

"We need to go to the System. You all must stay here as you will not be allowed in the Seventh Heaven," I said, flustered. Azazel nodded and I noticed that Yumi and Valerie had worried expressions on their faces. I quickly left the room with Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael, all of us flying towards the gate that led up to the Seventh Heaven. I opened the gate and we flew through, said gate closing just after we entered. We flew at high speed and could see the System, which was a tremendous mass of golden clouds that glowed especially brightly. We could barely make out something that looked odd. Just what in the world could be happening?

* * *

 _Issei POV_

I remember seeing the light fade after Michael-san teleported us and I saw a lot of glowing clouds. It was really beautiful, but I only saw it for a moment before the scenery suddenly changed around me. I found myself in a place, by myself, filled with golden clouds and bright shining lights. The sheer amount of holiness in this place made my skin crawl and I became extremely nervous. On top of that, I was alone so I couldn't even ask where I was.

In front of me was an especially bright group of clouds and I stared at them, curiously. I thought that the holiness, like that which was coming from the area around me, would make me nervous but it kind of soothed me instead. I felt calm, almost like how Asia's Twilight Healing felt on me.

As I was thinking about this, my attention was snatched away when a small ball of light came out of the clouds closest to me. It was slowly making its way towards me, but it was still pretty far. I was thinking about whether or not to get closer to it before feeling a presence behind me.

"Hyoudou-kun!" shouted a familiar voice. I spun around and found Michael-san and three unfamiliar figures flying towards me at high speed. They stopped just short of me and Michael-san looked at me, worriedly, before gazing behind me. "Hyoudou-kun, how did you get here?"

"Eh? I don't know. I remember seeing a beautiful place that looked like Heaven after you finished teleporting us and then everything changed into this place," I said, wondering where exactly I was.

"You lie. One cannot just 'find' them self in the Seventh Heaven. The only way you could have been allowed into here is if God himself brought you in," said an important looking angel with silvery wings.

"Calm yourself, Uriel. The System has been said to possess the ability to bring things here. After all, most holy artifacts possess their own will," said Michael-san. Uriel stood down after hearing Michael-san's words and he approached me.

"Hyoudou-kun, ha anything strange happened to you since you got here?" asked Michael-san, the worry on his face renewed.

"No. I did see a weird light come out of those glowing clouds, though," I said, causing Michael-san to tense. Uriel and an angel with fiery wings flew forward to look towards the glowing clouds and I looked at them with a confused expression. "Michael-san, what exactly is this place? It makes my skin crawl and Ddraig has been quiet since I got here."

"This, my young friend, is the Seventh Heaven, home of the System and the throne of God. Those glowing clouds are the System itself and this is the holiest place in existence. It's no surprise that you, who was once a devil, would feel uncomfortable," explained Michael-san, surprising me.

This was the place where God from the Bible resided? Why am I able to come here?

"Uriel, Raphael, what do you think the ball of light is?" asked Michael-san, seriously.

"It's an extremely high concentration of holy energy. It reminds me of the energy the Lord would use to conjure new angels," said who I assumed to be Raphael.

"The System is capable of doing such a thing? I thought it was impossible?" said an angel bishoujo from behind us. I tried not to stare at her, considering the situation.

"Apparently not, Gabriel. Hyoudou-kun, you said the ball of light appeared when you appeared here, why not try touching it?" asked Michael-san, surprising me.

"Are you insane, Michael? We don't know what could happen if they came contact," said Uriel, angrily.

"But we do not know what will happen otherwise. The System clearly called for Hyoudou-kun so there must be a reason. I doubt our Lord would have put something into the System that would cause its own destruction so all we can do is have faith," said Michael-san, calmly. He looked down at me after Uriel calmed down and patted my shoulder. "Would you please, Hyoudou-kun?"

I stared at him, a little nervous at the fact that I would have to go and touch this weird ball of light, but conceded to him. He directed me towards where the light was still coming from and it continued to float towards us. I moved forward towards it, floating in the empty space, and stopped when I was close enough. It continued to float towards me before floating into my cheat and causing me to clench my chest in pain.

"Hyoudou-kun!" I heard Michael-san say from behind me. I couldn't hear what he said afterward, though, as I felt an intense pain in my chest. I think this pain was worse than when I absorbed Vali's powers. It wasn't nearly as bad as Samael's poison but the burning sensation overtook my senses and I struggled to stay conscious as I fought off the pain.

I could see a bright light flow out of my chest and it encased me, impeding me from being able to see the others. After a few minutes of suffering, I felt the burning sensation begin to die down and with it the glowing cocoon around me. Finally the sensation disappeared completely and the light popped off of me, falling off in little sparkles before disappearing. I blinked a few times and then looked around, disoriented.

"Michael-san, what just happened?" I asked, confused. Michael-san, along with the others, were staring at me with surprised expressions and I cocked a brow at them, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Hyoudou-kun, turn your head so you can see behind you," said Michael-san, only confusing me more. I did as I was told and my eyes widened in surprise. On my back were white angel wings with a reddish tint to them.

"EH?! Did I just become an angel?! What the hell? I'm supposed to become a devil?!" I shouted in surprise.

"What in the world is going on here? Why would the System turn a human into an angel?" said Raphael, just as shocked as I was. I continued to spin around, trying to get a better look at my wings and Uriel came over to me to inspect them.

"These wings…they seem different than a normal angel's wings. Could it be the dragon blood within you?" said Uriel to himself. That was true. They did have a little bit of dragon aura mixed in with the holy aura. Still! What am I going to do?! I was turned into an angel and now I don't know if I can be reincarnated as a devil!

"Michael-sama, what should we do? You said he is supposed to become a devil but angels can't become devils unless they fall, right?" asked Gabriel, curiously.

"Well, from what Azazel told me, he will fall quickly so that isn't much of a problem. The dilemma is more so the fact that the Heavenly Dragon had an effect on the transformation. You still cannot speak with him, right Hyoudou-kun?" asked Michael-san. I tried to contact Ddraig again by calling out to him but he was still silent. What could he be doing at such a crucial time?!

"No, he's still ignoring me. What should I do, Michael-san? Being an angel won't help me since I'm going to become a devil in a couple years," I said, worriedly.

"Don't worry, Hyoudou-kun. We'll try and discuss it with Azazel to figure something out. For now, you should put away your wings so that you don't startle everyone. I'm assuming you know how from your experience with your dragon wings?" said Michael-san. I nodded and tucked away the angel wings the same way I hid my dragon wings before following him and the other Seraph out of this Heaven, leaving only Uriel behind to check the System.

What am I going to do? Rias won't be happy when she gets her memories back…

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Okay, so I got this idea from another fanfic and I have had the idea for awhile now, hence that set up much earlier in the story. I had dropped a couple hints in previous chapters but I just hope you guys will be receptive to this idea. I have a of things to explain and this will all lead to much later events and oh gosh the build up is insane Dx**_

 _ **Review to let me know what you guys thought and your ideas on both this chapter as well as the social media thing I discussed before. Until next time...byeee :D**_


	19. Volume 2 Life 6

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Okay, so I would like to start with, until May this story will only a chapter every two weeks. The semester is coming to an end and I need to focus on grades and tests and stuff so I'm not going to have a lot of time to write. I'm really sorry about that!**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.6**

We all arrived in the Sixth Heaven in Michael-san's office. As soon as we arrived, Yumi and Valerie immediately ran over to me.

"Ise-sama!"

"Issei!" shouted Valerie and Yumi, respectively. Both were looking at me with worried expressions and I smiled before patting them both on the head.

"Sorry for making you worry. I'm alright," I said. They continued to look at me, worriedly, but I wasn't able to keep comforting them before Azazel-sensei walked over.

"Ise, what happened? How did you get to the Seventh Heaven?" asked Azazel-sensei, seeming more curious in the second question.

"I don't really know. One minute I was in a place that looked like outside and the next I was in a place with a lot of golden clouds. After that Michael-san and the others found me and brought me back here," I said, obviously leaving out the part about my becoming an angel. I don't want to say it in front of anyone before I talk with sensei about it.

[Oi, Ise] said Ddraig, surprising me.

Ddraig! Where have you been?

[Sorry but I'm not allowed to speak in that place. None of the Longinus are allowed to. The System tells us not to because it doesn't want us interfering with whoever it brings there] explained Ddraig.

"What's wrong, Hyoudou-kun? Has Ddraig finally begun speaking to you again?" asked Michael-san, probably curious to the fact that I had gone silent.

"Ah, yeah. Apparently the Longinus aren't allowed to talk to their hosts while in the Seventh Heaven. He said the System told them not to," I said, surprising Michael-san.

"You see Uriel, I told you the System was sentient," said Michael-san after turning. I turned and found Uriel walking in just as Michael-san had been talking.

"Yes, yes, forgive me for not believing you. Also, the System has finally stabilized. It seems the dragon boy truly was the cause of the anomaly," said Uriel while staring at me.

"Gabriel, could you do me a favor and bring the rest of them back. I need to speak with Hyoudou-kun and Azazel. Just some last minute discussions about the System," said Michael-san, receiving a nod from Gabriel.

"Come everyone. I'll take you back with my magic circle," said Gabriel, happily.

"I plan to stay. If it has to do with both Azazel and my Rival I have no reason to be left in the dark," said Vali, nonchalantly, receiving an understanding nod from Michael-san.

"Yumi, Valerie, I'll see you two back home. Try not to worry too much," I said, calmly. Both of them looked at me, worriedly, but nodded in understanding before walking over to Gabriel who transported all of them away.

"So what is it, Ise? Don't tell me you did something stupid like try and grope Gabriel," said Azazel-sensei.

"Sensei, I haven't had a chance to even try that," I said, groping the air as I thought about such a thing.

"Please don't tease him like that Azazel, especially not after what happened," said Michael-san, causing Azazel-sensei to put on a confused expression.

"Ah, apparently I've become an angel," I said. I don't think I've ever seen either sensei or Vali with such surprised expressions. Sensei walked up to me and placed his hands on both my shoulders, staring me in the eye.

"How? How did you become an angel? Only God had the power to do that," said Azazel-sensei, shocked.

"Well, Hyoudou-kun caused some kind of anomaly with the System and it may have unlocked a secret function to be able to create angels but the surprising part was that he has changed into an angel instead of making one by itself or reincarnating him. Apparently his dragon blood also had some effect but we aren't quite sure. Hyoudou-kun, why not asking Ddraig and see if he knows?" said Michael-san. Ah! I forgot I can ask Ddraig about it now.

I nodded to Michael-san and asked Ddraig about it.

[Hmm…well, I do feel a lot more power from inside of you. It's strange, though. You were having perverted thoughts a moment ago and you didn't seem like you were falling even a little bit. Isn't that strange?] asked Ddraig.

"That's true. I had those perverted thoughts about Gabriel but my halo didn't flash like it does for Irina," I said, aloud. Causing Michael-san to look at me with a confused expression. He seemed like he was about to ask, but must have thought it would be bad to know too much about the future.

"Hm, I want to research this. His dragon blood could have fused with the angel blood making it differ in properties," explained Azazel-sensei, confusing me a little bit. "Can you take out your wings for a second?"

I nodded and released my angel wings before glancing back at them. They looked so weird to me. I'm not used to having feathers. All my other wings are bare.

"Now, think about making love to that master of yours. Think about her bountiful chest. Those voluptuous thighs. That curvy figure," said Azazel, my mouth drooling the more he described Rias. Ah~! I love thinking about her body! I want to take her virginity for myself!

"Look at that perverted face, Michael. He should be falling right now and his wings aren't even flickering. Really, this kid might be as powerful as God if he gets any new powers," said Azazel, laughing to himself.

"Seems I'll have to get stronger again, Rival. I can't have you catching up," said Vali, grinning over at me. I grinned back and fist bumped him before storing my wings away.

"Azazel, why don't you take him back and monitor him. We won't get much with just inspecting him here. If he continues his training then he will most likely reveal whatever abilities he has manifested," said Michael-san, receiving an understanding nod from Azazel-sensei.

"It'll probably take a while so don't expect much," said Azazel-sensei, nonchalantly. Michael-san laughed a bit as sensei placed a hand on my head and a magic circle formed around all of us. "See you."

After Azazel-sensei said that, we were all enveloped in a bright light and left Heaven. Honestly, though, just what in the world is happening?

* * *

 ** _Rias POV_**

"Ahh~," I said as I relaxed back into my chair. I was currently in my living room in my relatively large apartment here in Japan. I had just gone over some paperwork that father had given me for dealing with my cute servants. Since Akeno was entering into Kuoh Academy with me, we had to register her for the school, too. Kiba will be joining next year since he is a year younger than us and Koneko and my newest servant, Gasper, will be joining the year after Kiba. To be honest, I'm very worried about Gasper since he's so reclusive. I hope he can get along with everyone. It must be hard though since he can't really control his Balor View very well.

"Rias, are you alright?" asked Akeno after coming into view. Yes, Akeno and I were sharing an apartment since neither of us really wanted to live alone. I turned to her when she came in and smiled.

"Yes, I'm alright. Just some more paperwork. Honestly, I think father is trying to drown," I joked, causing Akeno to giggle a bit under her breath.

"Who knows, he might just hope it will make you want to come back home. I'm sure he misses his princess," said Akeno, teasingly. I blushed a bit in embarrassment and pouted at her, causing her to giggle more.

" _Anyways,_ I hope you haven't been slacking off since we got here. You need to prepare for school. It won't be long until we start," I scolded. Akeno smiled at me and nodded before leaving to finish getting ready. Within a few minutes, though, Akeno rushed back in, startling me.

"Rias, you might want to see this," said Akeno, looking flustered. I hopped to my feet and ran with her to my room to find some reddish smoke flowing out of my nightstand drawer. I immediately realized what it was and all but leapt at the drawer before ripping it open. As soon as I did, a large puff of smoke blasted me in the face, throwing me into a fit of coughs, and I reached in to pull out a small pouch.

I ran back into the living room, Akeno following closely behind, and dumped the contents of the bag on the table.

What fell out were eight steaming pawn pieces, four glowing a bright crimson and the other three a dull red. When I tried touching one, I was forced to rip my hand back from how hot they were and I began panicking. It had been a long time since my pawns last acted strangely but it hasn't been this strange since the first time years ago.

As I was thinking about what I should do and panicking, I felt Akeno tap my shoulder and my head snapped back to look at her.

"Rias, look, isn't one of the pieces acting more strangely than the others?" asked Akeno, causing my eyes to widen. I looked at the pieces again and found one to be acting different than the others. The glow was pulsating, going from the dull red of its companions to a crimson color. After a couple of minutes of this, the piece finally stopped on crimson and all the pieces stopped steaming before releasing a little bit of red lightning to connect each other. After they had all connected, everything suddenly ceased. The lightning, the intense glowing, the wave of energy coming off of them. They were all back to the soft glow, though, now there were five crimson pieces instead of three.

After several minutes of processing what had just occurred, I realized that one of my pawn pieces had just changed into a mutation piece before my eyes. I was shocked but calmed down enough to activate a magic circle next to my ear.

"Onii-sama," I said after I heard him say 'Yes'.

"Ah, Ria-tan, is everything going well in Japan? I hope father isn't working you too hard," said Onii-sama, calmly.

"Everything is going alright, Onii-sama but something just happened. One of my pawn pieces just transformed into a mutation piece," I said, frantically. The line was silent for a moment and I was about to ask Onii-sama if he was still there when I heard him take a deep breath.

"I'll contact Ajuka. He should be at your apartment soon so please wait for him," said Onii-sama, surprising me.

"W-Wait, Onii-sama. I can't just make Ajuka-sama drop everything to look at my pieces. I could just go over there and meet with him," I said.

"Don't worry about it, Rias," said Onii-sama, seriously. "Ajuka said to let him know if anything happened to the pieces as it could be serious. Just relax and keep an eye on the pieces."

I muttered out an 'Okay' to him and Onii-sama and I said our goodbyes before I closed the communication magic circle.

"Ajuka-sama is coming?" asked Akeno, having heard some of my conversation. I nodded and she immediately began tidying up around me as well as opening a window to let the smoke or steam or whatever it was out.

* * *

Ajuka-sama arrived at my apartment within an hour after I hung up with Onii-sama. He came in by magic circle, startling Akeno and I as we hadn't been expecting it to appear inside the apartment.

"Hello there, Rias. Sirzechs told me you had something interes-," said Ajuka-sama before noticing my pawn pieces on the table. He quickly walked over and sat on the couch opposite mine before looking at the pieces closely. "Amazing, to think another mutated. Just what is the owner?"

"What could be going on with them? It must be something important for a piece to have mutated right?" I asked, worriedly.

"It means that he has either gained some power or increased his strength beyond that which the pieces can handle. One mutated in order to compensate for that which is exactly what would have happened had the pieces been inside his body. To think that more pieces mutating are necessary to deal with his power. I don't think any pawn has ever had more than half their pieces mutate. Rias, expect a pawn whose power will exceed that of any of your other pieces. He truly does have the potential for Maou-class," said Ajuka-sama, looking at my pieces with interest. I remember him saying that once a long time ago and it still surprises me. Just who is my pawn?

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I'm surprised I managed to write such a long chapter and I guess it's due in part to the inspiration I had for Rias' part. It's been awhile since I had a POV from her so I thought 'Why not?'**_

 _ **Review to let me know what you guys thought and until next time...byeee :D**_


	20. Volume 2 Life 7

_**Hey guys, MT here.**_

 _ **So, I know you guys are probably surprised that I am posting for the first time in a few months. Firstly, I'd like to apologize for being gone for so long. I hadn't really planned to take a break. Around two or three weeks before I posted the last chapter, I was in some pretty stressful situations that brought back my depression and I've been dealing with it for the last few months. I finally felt that I was recovered enough that I could start writing again. I AM deeply sorry I didn't say anything to you guys, but I do hope you can forgive me and just go back to enjoying my stories as you did before.**_

 _ **It's been awhile since I've written anything, so I've been having trouble remembering what exactly I had planned for the immediate future of the story. Feel free to give ideas and thoughts on what you might like to see and who you might want to see gain their memory next. I have a few characters that aren't worked into the story to regain their memories yet so feel free to give ideas.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.7**

 ** _Issei POV_**

 ** _A couple days later…_**

"Alright, Ise, have you been able to concentrate light into your hands?" asked Azazel-sensei as he watched me. We were currently outside in a garden that Azazel created in the Dimensional Gap, like the forest we had been in before, while I was trying to figure out how to use my angel powers. We ended up revealing everything to Yasaka-san, Ophis, Valerie, and Yumi yesterday and Azazel-sensei has been trying to help me concentrate on my new powers.

"Ngh!" I groaned as I gritted my teeth and tried to concentrate light between my hands. I relaxed my body after a moment, panting a bit, and sighed. "I don't get it. I know how to concentrate energy from my devil training but I can't get the light to manifest. What am I doing wrong?"

"Ise, light doesn't manifest the same way devil energy does. The energy you draw out as a devil is based more on the power of your imagination and desire. Light is based off of your faith. Even Fallen Angels have faith, though it's not in God. For example, my faith is in endless desire for knowledge. I have undying faith that that desire will never fade and that's why I'm so powerful. You should find something you have undying faith for and use that to utilize your power," explained Azazel-sensei.

I nodded and began to think. Aside from faith in my eternal love of oppai and the bodies of the women I love, it would be the faith that I will always protect those that I care about. Considering this is a power based on holiness, I should probably use the less perverted faith.

Now that I had a faith I could focus on, I tried to draw out power from it. I focused on forming a small ball of light in my hand and, after a few seconds, a dot of light formed in my palm. I knew I was doing something right and continued focusing. After another moment, the dot suddenly grew into a ball and Azazel-sensei grinned at me.

"Now, launch it like a dragon shot," commanded Azazel-sensei. I did as instructed and blasted the shot away. It flew into a nearby hill and exploded with such power that I was startled. I hopped back a bit and stared at the explosion until it and the dust dissipated. There was a large crater where the shot had landed and I whistled in surprise. It wasn't anywhere near as powerful as my dragon shots but that was pretty powerful for a regular human like me…well, angel now, I guess. "Impressive, Ise! Seems you're faster at this then I thought."

"Okay, sensei, so I can create light but…what can I do with that? I mean, it's effective against other devils and vampires and stuff like that but what should I do with it?" I asked, curiously. I mean, aside from the light properties, it wasn't doing much different than what I could do with a dragon shot.

"To be honest, I've probably been thinking exactly what you just thought since you got your powers. Sadly, angels' powers aren't anywhere near as versatile as devils. I think that there are only a few who actually have some versatility. That's why I thought of something interesting. Do you remember what we all were talking about before? About the power of ki?" asked Azazel-sensei. I stared at him, a bit confused as I thought.

"Well…I'm not able to use it was a bit part, meaning I won't be able to learn things like senjutsu. I don't remember much else about that, sensei," I said, not sure where Azazel-sensei was leading me.

"Correction, you _weren't_ able to use it," said Azazel-sensei, confusing me even more. He must have seen how confused I was, as he just continued on. "Well, the only ones who can use ki are: youkai, two or three breeds of dragon, a few other humans who were born pretty damn special, and _angels._ "

"And I'm an angel now which means-," I began.

"You can use ki now. Or at least, you should have at least a weak ki network. That can be strengthened up with training. You won't be able to use senjutsu as strong as Koneko and Kuroka without the Boosted Gear, but with it you can be pretty damn powerful," explained Azazel-sensei. I became very excited by this news and immediately began looking for Yasaka and Kuroka. If I need to start training up to get my ki network or whatever stronger then I need to start ASAP. Sensei must have known who I was looking for because he didn't ask.

* * *

I ran into the sitting room to find Yasaka-san and Kuroka telling stories while sipping tea. They were a bit surprised by my entrance, but that didn't stop Kuroka from immediately hugging me from behind.

"Nyaa~, why is Sekiryuutei-kun running around so excitedly?" asked Kuroka, seductively, as she pressed her glorious oppai to my back. I had to focus hard so that I didn't forget why I had run in but managed to speak.

"Yasaka-san, Kuroka, teach me senjutsu," I said, simply. Kuroka stopped trying to seduce me and pulled back and around me so she could look at me with a confused expression, as did Yasaka-san.

"Issei-sama, I have explained to you before that you need a ki network in order to perform senjutsu. As a human, you lack-," explained Yasaka-san before stopping when she realized something. I grinned at her and her eyes widened a bit in realization. "You're an angel now so you have a ki network."

"Nyaa~! Nyai didn't even realize that!" said Kuroka, surprised. She then tackled me to the ground, surprising me. She shocked me even more when she mounted me and, although I was very happy to feel her soft buttocks on my lap, I didn't understand why she did it so suddenly. "Nyaow, nyaow, Sekiryuutei-kun, don't get too excited. I'm going to check how strong you ki network is. If it's weak then we've got a _lot_ of work to do."

I could feel Kuroka using her senjutsu on me, which was very similar in how it felt when Koneko used it on me, and after a few minutes she hummed in confusion.

"What is it?" asked Azazel-sensei as he walked in.

"Well, Sekiryuutei-kun _does_ have a ki network. What's surprising is that it is…how to say…stronger than one would expect. Normally, angels don't have very strong ki networks to begin with but his is probably half as strong as mine," explained Kuroka. I didn't really get what that meant and looked over to Yasaka-san in hopes of an explanation. Instead, I received a surprised expression.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Well, Issei-sama…if your ki network is truly that strong then you exceed the natural ability of most youkai under my watch. There is probably only a handful of youkai breeds that surpass you in natural ability. I wonder if the fact that your dragon blood altering the angelic traits inside also affected your ki network…" said Yasaka-san, trailing off in thought.

"It's certainly plausible. So, what should he start with is the question. I'm not an expert on ki and senjutsu training so you two need to take the reins on this," said Azazel-sensei. Huh…I guess he really doesn't know everything like he seems to boast.

"Nyaa…well, for one thing, he needs to learn how to control it and his touki. If he can't gain full control over it, it could run amok and kill him. Even the most skilled senjutsu users have had to deal with this. Ki is unpredictable if he can't force it to his will," explained Kuroka.

"Ok, but how do I do that?" I asked, still confused.

"It would probably be around a year before you could get good at manipulating your ki, Issei-sama. This isn't something you can rush because it isn't like demonic, dragon, or angelic power. Ki is the natural energy around us and you could say it almost as a will of its own. If you don't take time to bend it to your will, you won't be able to grasp it. We should begin training immediately but I believe Kuroka would be better help on this than I would. After all, it's been millennia since I've done this training so I'm rusty when it comes to that topic. Better to get a fresh mind," suggested Yasaka-san. Her explanation lost me a little bit but I got the gist of it. Ki is a wild energy so I needed to learn how to control it.

"Let's start training now," said Kuroka, a dark smile on her face. I don't think I liked where that was going.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you think?**_

 _ **I'm a little rusty but I hope it wasn't too bad. I tried to re-read the last few chapters to get into the flow again.**_

 ** _Please leave feed back for me so I can fix any major mistakes._**

 ** _Also, I probably won't update for two weeks since I'm a lot busier now, what with my job, college work, and the fact that we're redoing the whole kitchen in my house which I need to help with. Please be a bit patient and I promise to get a slightly longer chapter out by the end of October._**

 ** _Anyways, until next time...byeee :D_**


	21. Volume 2 Life 8

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I managed to get the chapters out just on time for all my series and I'm pretty pleased with how this chapter came out, though there is a lot of explanations. Hope that doesn't bother you too much.**_

 _ **I didn't want to go through Issei's whole year of training but I also didn't want to skip it and just tell you what he could do at the end so I kind of did a montage-like thing...not really sure what to call it xD**_

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.8**

 _Issei POV_

Training in that first training camp after I became a devil, difficult. Training to properly control Triana, extremely difficult. Training to learn how to use ki? Deadly difficult. Honestly, the first two were a piece of cake compared to ki training.

I spent my first month on ki training with having Kuroka sit on my back and constantly aggravating my 'pressure points' or whatever which was supposed to excite my ki. This training was to help me learn how to stop my ki from running amok. Kuroka ended up having to forcefully stop my ki's rampage a couple of times and every time my ki got excited, I could feel a burning sensation all over my body, like someone was stabbing me with burning hot needles all over.

The pain was barely manageable half the time and the pain helped me pick up controlling my ki faster than normal. It was a bit strange for me since I've never really 'controlled' my powers. Triana came from me working with my past senpai to get beyond Juggernaut Drive. My Boosted Gear's powers all started when I started working together with Ddraig. This power didn't really have anyone linked to it, though, so it was kind of me just willing it to stop when I told it to.

Kuroka said I would get used to it eventually and the task would end up being unconscious by the time I got really good. She said I'd probably be able to control it as naturally as Sairaorg can after a few years of intense training. Though she did say that touki is a little different than normal ki. Apparently I'm training both at the same time, though, so she said it's not something to worry about for now.

By my second month of training, I could stop my ki almost every time she excited it. We continued to do that part of the training, but much less frequently since she needed time to start teaching me the basics of ki. It didn't take long for her to see I wasn't getting it; I'm more of a visual and practical learner to be honest. She instead decided to start teaching me the most basic senjutsu. Physical reinforcement.

Physical reinforcement is basically like turning my skin into flexible armor. She said that to do it I just need to push my ki into the skin and make it stable or something like that. She showed me her doing it and I saw the effects when I took a bat and hit her as hard as I could. The bat shattered on her skin and she wasn't even scratched.

I probably tried doing that a thousand times but I wasn't getting it. That was when sensei came into play.

"Ise, you need to do it naturally like you always do. Don't focus so hard, just think hard about how you want your skin to be as hard as your armor usually is. Your ki should just follow your instructions since you've been imposing your will onto it," explained Azazel-sensei, nonchalantly. I looked over to him thinking his explanation was a bit too simple compared to what Kuroka was teaching me but I tried it and, when Kuroka hit me (as she had been), I didn't feel any pain, there wasn't even a bruise.

She grinned at me and I pumped my fist in the air, excited, before she kicked me in the gut. Felt that one.

"It's good that you're giving him advice, Azazel, but don't make it sound so easy. Look what happened when he lost his concentration for just a second," said Kuroka, mockingly.

Sensei just rolled his eyes at her and sipped some of his tea.

After getting it for the first time and knowing how it felt, I started picking it up faster. Sensei was right when he said I was kind of natural at picking up fighting techniques. By the time the second month was over, I could use that defense teachnique perfectly. It was like phasing on my armor whenever I needed to.

The third month of training was kind of interesting and had lots of eventful things happen. Firstly, by mid-month I was almost totally controlling my ki sub-consciously. She thinks it was because I was learning how to use the ki instead of just suppressing it but I don't really get how ki works half the time.

The second thing to happen was a surprise visit from Akeno. She was pretty flustered at that time…

* * *

 ** _The day that Akeno came…_**

I was in the garden practicing my body hardening, as Azazel-sensei called it, when I felt a familiar magic nearby. I snapped out of my training and looked over to find a purple portal with the Gremory insignia on it. After a second, Akeno popped out and I smiled brightly while getting up. My happiness was completely swept away, though, when Akeno's face registered in my mind. She had a deep set frown, worry in her eyes.

"Akeno? What's wrong? Did something happen?" I asked, seriously. Had something happened to Rias and the others?

"Nothing happened to the others," said Akeno as she drifted towards me. She hugged me and then looked me over as if she thought something was wrong with me. "What happened Ise? To you. Something big happened right? I wanted to come sooner but I couldn't just slip away from Rias without a good explanation. I've been so worried that something bad happened to you."

"I mean…I got a new power not long ago but nothing bad, no. Why would you think that? Actually, how did you even know?" I asked, seriously confused. I doubt that good natured Michael-san would have let any of my angelification come out so how would she know?

"A few months ago, one of your pieces turned into a mutation piece. Ajuka-sama was saying how that only happens if something happens to you. Like how you unlocking your Triana and getting the Dividing gear mutated some of your pieces. I thought something serious had happened to you like getting a power in a big battle or something," explained Akeno. So she was worried because of that huh?...Wait what?

"What do you mean my pieces? I'm not a devil yet, Akeno, I can't have pieces," I said, confused by what she said.

"That's something I've been trying to piece together, Ise. I've contacted Ajuka-sama secretly a few times and neither of us understands it. Your pawn pieces, the ones Rias has, are still connected to you. She said that one day, probably around the time you came to the past, her pieces reacted with your soul and became yours, four even mutated just like your pieces were before. Now, though, another mutated to compensate for whatever crazy power you have now," explained Akeno, clearing up a lot of my confusion. So just like Ascalon was still bound to me, so were my pieces. It's kind of strange to be honest.

"That's quite interesting. Seems even that genius Ajuka doesn't even know how his creation works," said a voice from behind, surprising me. I turned to find Azazel-sensei looking deep in thought. "I also guess it would make sense. Pieces used to reincarnate someone into a devil _would_ have to change a bit in order to handle this new addition. Amazing, though, that they accounted for that even though they're separate from your body."

"What new power have you gotten now, Ise? Honestly, if you get any stronger I might not be able to keep away," said Akeno, looking at me with a bit of a seductive look.

"Well, I'm not sure how you'll react to it…I guess it would be as bad since it's in your blood," I said, causing Akeno to give me a confused look. I released my angel wings and looked at her expression, smiling a bit as I saw her eyes widen in surprise.

"W-W-W-What?! Are those what I think they are?!" shouted Akeno, still staring at my angel wings. I put them away and her stare shifted to my eyes.

"Lots of stuff happened but in short, I've become an angel and I'm learning senjutsu right now," I said, simply. She stared at me again before rolling her eyes.

"Honestly, why am I surprised. If it's to get stronger for us, you'll do anything," said Akeno before giving me a short kiss, surprisingly not even trying to extend it. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you're okay."

"Akeno," I said looking deeply into her eyes. "I won't die again, I swear. I'll get stronger and stronger so I can protect you all from anything and everything, no matter what."

Akeno was silent for a moment before smiling, brightly, at me and pulling me into a hug, my head being pulled down into her much larger breasts than the last time she hugged me like this.

"Keep being you, Ise. The next time I'll see you will be in Kuoh. Don't keep us waiting too long," said Akeno, quietly. I was a bit too entranced by having my face in Akeno's cleavage to answer but I understood what she meant. It was so hard being away from everyone. I missed them all to death but we'd all be together again soon and things could go back to the way they used to be.

* * *

After that, Akeno left back through the portal and I ended up going back to training with even more passion than before. Her coming gave me a boost and I ended up moving a lot faster than I had been.

For the rest of the month, I got regular visits from Vali, now accompanied by Bikou who happily gave me from ki training pointers, as well as many visits from SlashDog and Jin for intense training session.

The months that followed were sort of a blur. Kuroka taught me a lot of senjutsu, most being either offensive or defensive techniques since it would be awhile before I could manipulate my ki to be able to use it for healing like she and Koneko do.

By the end of the year's worth of training, I was a lot stronger and I was that much closer to seeing everyone again.

"Hooo," I breathed out a steady breath as I stood, shirtless, in the middle of the garden by myself. I had my eyes closed and I was standing with my feet spread apart and my fists clenched close by my sides. I cloaked them in ki, one with touki and the other with a fiery ki that Kuroka taught me how to create. I tensed my body and released out a series of punches in the air, said punches creating small bursts of wind from the impact with the ki. As I was training, I heard a near silent rustle in the grass a few yards away. I already knew who was there, using my ki to sense their presence. "Still have a lot of training to do, Yumi."

I heard Yumi whine in a cute voice and she stopped trying to mask her presence.

"Darn it…and I thought I was doing so well," said Yumi in a way that made me feel she was pouting. I grinned a bit and released the ki from my hands before relaxing from my fighting stance.

"You're doing great. I heard Artemis helped you out since she was happy about how much you've been praying," I said, smiling at her. It was true. The goddess was kind enough to give Yumi a special bow. It was simple on the outside, sleek wooden limbs that curled at the ends and a bowstring made from Artemis' hair. The bow was imbued with her powers so it would never break and she could fire arrows as fast as she wanted, even insane speeds like the speed of sound.

Sensei also helped her out by asking one of the other Greek gods, whose name I can't remember right now, give her a quiver that generated arrows using the energy inside her. I was a bit skeptical at first since I didn't think Yumi had much to spare but apparently those bastards at that terrible church did something to her that unlocked her ability to generate holy energy. She could produce quite a lot so that quiver ended up being really useful.

"Yeah! It's so amazing and I'm so happy she gave it to me. I was praying a lot in hopes that it would help me get a lot stronger and so far it has. I haven't missed a single shot up to four miles from the target. It helps that the eagle eye ability I get from her lets me see it," said Yumi, proudly. I grinned at her and ruffled her hair, receiving a blush from her.

"You two seem to be getting along well without me," said a voice from off to the side.

"Hey, Valerie, Azazel-sensei," I said without turning to them.

"Oi, Yumi, don't be too sad about not being able to sneak up on this one," began sensei, jabbing a thumb in my direction. "He's almost at Baraqiel's level in battle prowess. You'd have to be Maou-class and up to be able to catch him off guard at this point."

"I do feel really strong, but I don't think I'm that close to Baraqiel's level yet. Maybe after I become a devil again and get Triana back. Hm…I wonder how well my body will be able to use Triana now that I'm a lot stronger than I was," I said, the last part mostly to myself.

[At your present level, you could probably handle Triana as well as you handle Balance Breaker,] said Ddraig, surprising me.

"Ah, Ddraig! You haven't spoken to me in a month! What's the deal?" I asked, a bit annoyed that he's been ignoring me. Ever since my ki training started he's been talking to me less and less and he always gives me the excuse that he's 'off talking to Albion about this and that' but I don't believe it.

[Don't worry about it, Partner. I'll tell you about it when you get Triana back,] said Ddraig, cryptically, annoying me. I pouted a bit at the response but decided to let it be since I had other things to deal with.

"Ise-sama, I need you to come with me, please. Yasaka-sama said she has something to tell you," said Valerie, pouting a bit. Ah…I've noticed that these two girls want a lot of my attention. When I give too much to one or the other, then the other usually gets annoyed.

I sighed a bit and quickly came up to Valerie before patting her on the head.

"C'mon, don't put on a face like that. It's better when you smile," I said, smiling at her. She gave me a sheepish smile before blushing a bit.

"D-Does Ise-sama like my smile?" she asked, fidgeting.

"Yeah! It's really pretty," I said, enthusiastically, just to hear a groan from behind me. I turned to find Yumi leaping at me, her arms wrapping around one of mine and pulling it into her bosom.

"Issei! That's not fair complementing Valerie like that!" said Yumi, some obvious jealousy in her voice. I wasn't paying much attention though as I felt her very well developed breasts around my arm.

While I was enjoying the sweet sensation, my head was suddenly tugged downward and I felt the even more amazing sensation of having my head pressed into Valerie's firm but still soft bosom.

"Ise-sama isn't just _yours_ Yumi. I'm willing to share him but it has to be equally. We won't have much time left with just us so we have to make it count," said Valerie, confusing me a bit but I was, once again, preoccupied by the amazement of breasts.

"You're right. We have to make the most before the hoard of other girls Issei talks about come. Once they're here, we'll never get to have him to ourselves," said Yumi, sounding like she was going off into thought.

"Honestly, this guy. He's the type that can get any girl to fall for him. I can't wait to see what kind of kids he has. They'll probably be the strongest ever with who their father and mothers will be," said Azazel-sensei.

"Ah! I forgot! Ise-sama, Yasaka-sama summoned you!" said Valerie before releasing my head from her breasts and dragging me along.

* * *

"WHAT?!" I said in complete shock.

"Yes, Rias-sama and her household are presently in Kyoto. From what I hear, it seems they are on vacation. I wasn't sure what you wanted to do about it. When I mentioned it to Kuroka, she decided it best to leave since her sister might have sensed her," explained Yasaka-san.

"It's too early, still. I can't see her, not yet at least. We've still got another year before I can meet her or else it might mess things up," I said, worrying about what to do.

"Relax, Ise. You just need to stay away from her. Here might not be the best since she might come to pay her respects to the famed Nine-tailed fox, but it wouldn't be too difficult to stay away," said Azazel-sensei.

Sensei was right, I just had to keep away from her. I could probably go down the mountain a bit, train in one of the open areas away from the path that leads up here. I should probably wait until they're on their way before I do, though, just in case.

"Everyone except Yasaka-san and Kunou would have to leave. Hopefully I can pull Ophis from her videogames long enough to hide. Yumi and Valerie will come with me and then sensei will…?" I said, leaving my sentence open since I didn't know what sensei wanted to do.

"I'll go ahead and warn Vali so he doesn't come around as well as SlashDog. Afterward I'll go back to the Grigori research lab. I've been studying Valerie's body since I might have found something interesting. I'll tell you about it when I know more," said sensei, making me curious. I decided to leave it for later and he grinned before leaving the room.

Oh what kind of day is today going to be?

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Were the explanations too much? Now that I look back over it they might've been. Let me know.**_

 _ **Other than that, next chapter we will be changing perspectives! Thought it might be a little monotonous to just keep it in Issei's POV all the time so we'll be moving on to someone else's. You probably already know who.**_

 _ **Anyways, let me know if you had any trouble with this chapter and until next time...byeee :D**_


	22. Volume 2 Life 9

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Could...Could it be? Am I finally finished after being two weeks late?!**_

 _ **Oh. My. Freaking. Gosh.**_

 _ **Guys, you have no idea how much little time I have had for the last month. All my professors decided to assign multiple projects AND I had to work extra hours at work. And that doesn't count all the homework and 'family time' that took up the rest of my time. I hope you all understand!**_

 ** _I tried to make the chapter longer as compensation, I hope you guys like it!_**

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.9**

 _Rias' POV_

"Waaaaah! Kyoto is so beautiful!" I shouted in amazement, running up to a torii gate in front of one of the old shrines.

I've been looking forward to this trip so much! Since I heard that the 2nd years' trip was going to be changed from Kyoto to Okinawa I just _had_ to see Kyoto first. After all, Kyoto is the historical capital of Japan, how could I not come and see it?

"Rias, don't get lost now. School is on break right now so there are a lot of tourists," said Akeno, still a bit of bitterness in her voice. She was kind of annoyed when I surprised everyone with the trip. I tried to find out why but she wouldn't tell me. I was kind of worried about it but, since she hadn't say anything outright, I thought it would be alright. Koneko and Kiba seemed fine with it, too.

"I know, I'm not going to get so far away from my precious servants. But look, look, Akeno. This shrine is almost 400 years old. Look at the old Japanese architecture! Ahh~ I love Japan; it's always so beautiful!" I said, excitedly. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm too obsessed with Japan.

"It is a very beautiful shrine, Buchou. I'm not sure how the local gods would feel if we got to close, though," said Yuuto, worriedly.

"Don't worry about that, Yuuto. I spoke to the gods and spirits of various places I wanted us to go to prior. They gave their approval as long as we don't cause any problems for the shrine visitors," I said, happily. Of course I took care of something like that prior to our arrival. What good is seeing the shrine from so far away?

"Are we going to pay Yasaka-sama?" asked Koneko before I had a chance to gush over the shrine again.

"Ah, yes! We have to go soon or she'll be insulted…but…" I said, hopefully, pointing at the shrine.

"Yes, Rias, we can finish seeing the shrine first," said Akeno, still some bitterness. I ignored the bitterness, though, because of how happy I was to be able to look at the shrine up close.

Ah~, Kyoto is amazing~!

* * *

We've been going around Kyoto for a couple hours now, slowly making our way towards Yasaka-sama's shrine. We were finally closing in on it before walking up to the torii gate.

"This is it, Buchou?" asked Yuuto, sounding a bit confused. "I expected something a bit grander for someone as famous as the Nine-tailed fox. Perhaps she is more modest than I believed."

"I think you'll be a bit surprised, Yuuto. Although I've never been here, father told me about his visit when he visited," I said, winking at Yuuto. He cocked a brow in interest at my statement and we walked towards the torii gate before passing through it. As soon as we were through, the scenery in front of us completely changed. The shrine went from being a slightly raised area with a beautifully simple shrine to an enormous mountain, a large staircase making its way all the way up to the top. The top, though, was separated from us by a dense white fog.

As we began ascending the stairs, I turned back to glance at my precious servants, finding Koneko and Yuuto with awed expressions on their faces. I giggled to myself and we quickly made our way up to the top.

* * *

The shrine at the top of the mountain was beautiful and serene, complete with simple garden with small waterfalls. I couldn't help but love how peaceful the scene was. I, as well as my servants, all stopped to enjoy the sight before a fox girl came out from the front of the house. She came close and gave a short bow before speaking.

"Hello Lady Gremory, my master has been expecting you," said the fox girl in a dainty voice. I smiled at her and nodded before following her into the shrine building.

She led us into a rather large sitting room and asked us to make ourselves comfortable while her master came.

After a few minutes of silence, a beautiful fox woman came in, closely followed by a young and cute fox girl who looked quite similar to her.

"Hello there Maou's little sister," said Yasaka-sama, a bit condescending. Well, I am technically below her in status since she is a faction leader.

"Hello there, Yasaka-sama. We've come to visit while here in Kyoto," I said, smiling and bowing my head slightly.

"Yes, my precious little servants notified me that you came to sightsee. I hope that's the only business you have here. I haven't the desire to deal with any disturbances at the moment," said Yasaka-sama while fanning herself.

"Of course we would never try to inconvenience you, we are here solely to sightsee. Kyoto is, after all, quite a beautiful city," I said, smiling.

"Yes, I take quite good care of it. I appreciate you coming to pay respect and I do ask that you ignore being watched. My youkai do like to keep an eye on outsiders," said Yasaka-sama, simply. I nodded in response and she smiled a bit. "Please do say hello to that father and brother of yours, by the way. It's been too long."

"Of course," I said as I and my peerage rose up. We bowed and were quietly escorted out by one of her servants.

Honestly, I think she was a bit too condescending but at least now I can enjoy my tour of Kyoto without worry!

* * *

 ** _A few hours later…_**

"Whew~!" I sighed in relief after drinking some delicious tea. We had stopped at a small café after wandering the city for the last hours and we needed to take a bit of a break to recover. We ended up looping back near Yasaka-sama's shrine and we were planning to go to the other side of it to a part of Kyoto we had yet to explore.

"Buchou," whispered Yuuto after leaning close to me. "Don't you think Akeno has been a bit too anxious? She hasn't calmed down since we arrived and I've been wondering what could be the problem."

"I wish I knew, Yuuto. Perhaps someone she dislikes is here and she doesn't want to run into them? She refused to talk to me about it several times so I don't know what to think about it," I whispered back. I was as lost as Yuuto when it came to Akeno's reactions. She's been _very_ stressed out on this trip and I'm wondering why. It couldn't be that her father is here in Kyoto as Onii-sama would never have let me come here if such a high ranking Fallen Angel was around. I don't know much about people Akeno was friends with before meeting her, though. Maybe it is someone close to her?

Before I had much time to think, I felt a strange heat from my pocket. I looked down and gasped before quickly running out of the mildly crowded café, probably causing my peerage some surprise.

I ran out into one of the nearby alleyways and pulled from my pocket a small pouch, the one where I kept my precious pawn pieces that just love to do as they like.

Right now, they were glowing, faintly, and heating up. I fumbled with them a bit as they were already hot enough that it was uncomfortable to hold them. After a moment, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko appeared in the alley beside me, all wondering what was going on.

"What are they doing now, Rias?" asked Akeno, first, realizing what was going on.

"I don't know. Their reaction is different this time. There's no lightning like before so it can't be another mutation but…" I said, trailing off in confusion. Before I could think anymore, the pieces suddenly flew up out of my hands and circled around me for a moment before shooting up into the air one by one and disappearing somewhere. I could only stand there, gaping, as I wasn't sure what in Maou's name was going on.

"Could it be…" said Kiba, trailing off in thought instead of confusion like I was.

"What is it, Yuuto-kun?" asked Akeno, a bit of seriousness in her voice.

"Well, the pawn pieces belong to someone, correct?" asked Yuuto, receiving nods from Akeno and I. "Then, could it be that we are close enough to that someone that they've gone to find him?"

"Of course! It wouldn't be strange to think that the pieces would want to be hole with the person they belong to. Though…the pieces wouldn't actually be able to enter them until you perform the ritual, right Rias?" asked Akeno, curiously.

"Yes, Ajuka-sama said that I still needed to perform the proper ritual even if they do belong to someone or else the pieces can't enter his body," I said, calmly. "I can still feel the energy from the pieces, we should go after them."

"What direction are they heading, Buchou?" asked Koneko, quietly.

"Surprisingly, towards Yasaka-sama's shrine. I wonder if she's involved with him…" I said before exiting the alley and running towards the shrine. My peerage followed closely behind but I was too focused and nervous. Could I finally meet him after all this time? After nine long years?

The anticipation of meeting him is killing me.

* * *

 _Ise POV_

"*sigh* I really hope she doesn't try to come back," I said to myself. Ophis, Yumi, Valerie, and I were all sitting on a small overhang some distance down Yasaka-san's mountain. We were on the side opposite of where the stairs were just in case but Yasaka-san said it was unlikely that Rias and the others would come back unless something provoked them.

We had actually been in a different dimension since Azazel-sensei left and had been waiting until after Rias had visited so as not to accidentally run into them but I wondered if we should have just stayed there. I really don't want to mess anything up with the timeline aside from, y'know, what I've done so far. But all of that doesn't really do much to affect my relationship with Rias and the others…I hope.

"Issei, there might be a problem," said Ophis, surprisingly not playing her Gameboy for once.

"What is it, Ophis? Is someone dangerous coming?" I asked, tensed.

"Not dangerous. I sense something flying over here as well as the others coming back towards the mountain," said Ophis, surprising me.

"They're _what?!"_ I shouted in disbelief. What could possibly bring them back here?! Actually, a better question is, what is flying over here that is bringing them back?

My question was answered after a few seconds when I heard a 'whoosh' from nearby. I turned to the side to see what looked like glowing chess pieces flying towards me. I staggered and they circled around me before pulsating.

"What in the-?" I asked confused. Yumi and Valerie tensed, prepared to fight, but I waved them off when I realized what was circling me. They were pawn pieces. Probably mine to be honest. " _Shit!_ I would have never thought my pawn pieces would start looking for me!"

"What should we do, Ise-sama? Should we return to the other dimension?" asked Valerie, worried.

"No, no, that wouldn't work now. Rias is smart, she would know what my pieces leaving meant. She knows I'm here and would probably think Yasaka-san was hiding me when she can't find me," I said, panicking a bit. _What the hell do I do?!_

[Why not give the pieces back while giving a message to see her in a year? Your master isn't unreasonable. She can wait,] suggested Ddraig in response to my panicking.

You're a genius, partner! Rias would agree if it was only to wait another year. And another year is all I need to put everything on track.

"I need one of you to take my pieces to them and give them a message for me, okay?" I asked, both girls nodding.

"Which of us should go, Issei?" asked Yumi, curiously.

"Hm…I think Valerie should go. If Yumi goes then Kiba might recognize you. Rias and the others won't know you, Valerie, but you should still go cloaked and try not to reveal that you're a vampire. I want to limit what Rias knows so she doesn't get any wrong ideas," I said after thinking about it. Valerie nodded and pulled on one of the cloaks we had brought in case we needed to conceal ourselves.

"What should I say, Ise-sama?" asked Valerie as I began to pick my pieces from mid-air.

"Something like 'Your future Pawn is not ready to see you but he will come to you after a year'. That should keep her waiting," I said before flinching. "Crap, they're already that close? You won't be able to stop them in time before they start climbing the mountain to look for me."

"Why not flare your aura to surprise them?" suggested Ophis from off to the side. I looked at her a bit confused and she tilted her head to the side a bit. "Your aura is already at a point where it would cause most high-class devils stop in their tracks and become wary. If you did that, they might take it as a sign that they are unwelcome."

"That's…That might work actually," I said, surprised. I do remember times where foes much stronger than us made us freeze because of their tremendous aura. Why couldn't I try something similar. "Alright, Valerie, go ahead and I'll do what Ophis suggested."

Valerie nodded and hopped down from the ledge, using magic circles to make her way down the side of the mountain.

I stood in place and took a deep breath before concentrating on the power within me. I let it flare to life and I roared out while feeling my energy spike.

I sure hope this works.

* * *

 _Rias POV_

"We're almost there," I said just as we ran through the torii gate to Yasaka-sama's shrine. "The energy is coming from the other side of the mountain. They must be on some cliff."

"I think we can fly now that we're out of sight of the normal people," said Yuuto, receiving a nod from me. We released out wings and I kicked off the ground first before feeling an overwhelming surge of power from the other side of the mountain.

I forgot to actually fly and I fell back to the ground, landing on my feet.

"W-What was that?" I said, shocked, before turning back to my peerage. I found Koneko and Yuuto frozen in shock and trembling a bit while Akeno was biting her lip with a seductive look in her eye. I turned back and stared at the direction the energy came from, shocked.

"B-B-Buchou," said Koneko, causing me to glance back. "That aura, it's that of a dragon's. I remember it when some of the high-class devils sent some of the dragons after Nee-sama…"

"A dragon? Even so that aura was…incredible. Could it be close to that of a Dragon King?" I asked, shocked. Before I could think more on it, I felt a presence off to the side and looked over to see a cloaked figure jumping down onto magic circles. I became a bit defensive after seeing her but, as soon as she reached us, she held her hands out. Within her hands were the pawn pieces that had just flown away and they were all still glowing, though fainter than before.

"Hello Gremory-sama," said the girl in a polite voice. "My master wishes to return these as it is not yet time for him to join you all."

"Master? And what do you mean by 'it isn't time yet'?" I asked, confused.

"I call him 'master' because he saved me from death but that is irrelevant. My master is training to become useful to you when he finally joins you but until then he wishes to remain hidden. He asks for you to wait just one more year," said the girl, simply. I tried to take a glance at her face, but she was concealing it well.

"One more year…huh?" I said, mulling over the thought. I was so close to meeting the mysterious person filled my thoughts every time I saw my pawn pieces but he's asking me for another year? Do I really have to wait longer?

"Good things come to those who wait, Rias," said Akeno, sounding a bit smug.

"Well, that may be true, but…just how much stronger can he get in a year? He's already plenty powerful. I could tell from his aura blast a moment ago," I said, wondering how this girl would reply.

"Compared to a Maou, how well do you think he could fare if he fought, say Lucifer-sama?" asked the girl, smiling a bit at me. So he's aiming for Maou level before even joining my peerage? Honestly, who is this man?!

"If he's dead set on reaching Maou-level before he meets me…then I can't really do much can I? Ambition like that doesn't appear often, even less does ambition with incredible power to back it up come up. I'll let him have one more year. If he doesn't show up or contact me by then, then I'm going never going to let him join my peerage," I said, a bit bitter.

"I will tell him as soon as I return," said the girl, holding the pawn pieces out to me. I cupped my hands together and she poured them in before bowing to me. "It was very nice to meet you, Gremory-sama. I hope my master can impress you once we all meet again."

Before I could say anything else, the girl hopped back onto a magic circle that launched her high in the air and away from where we were. I stared off at her scornfully, and then down at my pieces as I began to slip them into their usual pouch.

"What do you want to do, Buchou?" asked Yuuto, curiously.

"We'll give him a year, as he asked. I hope he can make a big change from the level he's at now," I said, smiling a bit before walking off.

You better impress me, mystery man.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I don't know about you all but writing in 1st person is hard. Especially for Rias, for some reason. I feel like I made her a little OOC in this chapter so please let me know if something seems off so I can fix it.**_

 _ **Also, I hope to get the next chapter out by Christmas at the latest so please do look forward to that!**_

 _ **Until next time...byeee :D**_


	23. Volume 2 Life 10

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Merry Christmas guys! I wanted to get this chapter out in the morning but hot damn was I busy getting the house ready for festivities.**_

 _ **Anyways, I hope you all are having a good Christmas Eve (Or what ever holidays you celebrate at this time of year), and I hope you're excited for this chapter, though not as much as you think will happen. Next chapter will be a big one!**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.10**

 ** _Two weeks later…_**

 _Issei POV_

"What?!" I said in shock at Azazel-sensei's words.

"That's what I said when I first heard it, too. I don't know how or who could have done it though, I do have a theory though," said Azazel-sensei, drifting into thought.

"How could Yamata no Orochi's _entire being_ just disappear like that? He isn't exactly weak enough for that to occur, you know that, Azazel, correct?" said Yasaka-san, a bit surprised.

"I just told you what we at the Grigori discovered. One minute we're tracking Yamata no Orochi as he's traveling through an underground cave system in eastern Hokkaido and the next minute ' _Poof!'_ he's gone. When know he wasn't fighting anyone so we don't really understand how he could have just disappeared. I've been theorizing that someone set a trap to transport him to another space. The problem is that there's no faction that would have done that to him. Meaning it's probably…" said Azazel-sensei before trailing off.

"The Khaos Brigade?" I suggested. If it's not a faction, then the only ones with the power to do such things would be the Khaos Brigade.

"That's what I was thinking but I don't remember there being anyone in that group who would be able to perform high-level transportation. Unless the time-line changed something or there were some powerful people hidden behind the Hero- and Old Maou-factions," said Azazel-sensei, a bit worried. "I hope they don't become a problem but now that they have Yamata no Orochi, we won't be able to get you that special sword, Ise. You'll have to make do with Ascalon and Excalibur Rapidly until we can find Yamata again."

"There no way to find him if they took him to a dimension in the Dimensional Gap?" I asked. Usually, spaces are created in the Dimensional Gap, right? So you should be able to search there too.

"Ise, I think you fail to realize that the Dimensional Gap is infinite. Unless we have some semblance of an idea where the space they are hiding in is, it would take an eternity and a lot of luck to find them," said Azazel-sensei, shooting down my idea. I guess that is true. I think I remember someone telling me that a long time ago. "Either ways, we'll just have to wait. Anyways, how has your sword technique training been going? I know that Yasaka wouldn't have done it half-heartedly after all these years so you must have gotten a lot better."

"Ah, yeah, I think I've perfected using Excalibur's ability at speeding me up, and I was already used to Ascalon, but I don't think I'm anywhere near as good as Kiba yet. I think I'm decent at least," I said, calmly, as I pulled Excalibur from another space.

"Well, I don't expect you to get as strong as Kiba is. I just wanted you to get better at using it. If you want to become a proper all-rounder, you just need to be decent in everything and really good at a couple of things. You're still a Power-type at heart so that'll be your strongest type. I would imagine wizardry is second because you've been doing well with ki and magic training," said Azazel-sensei, curious to my progress.

"Ah, yeah, well I plan to get stronger before I meet up with Rias. Kuroka said I've been progressing really well in ki training but I still can't use magic other than fire magic. I guess fire magic kinda makes sense since I'm a dragon," I said, frowning a bit.

"Well, remember, Ise, that even someone like Akeno specializes in a certain type of magic. It's not bad to be good at one and not the others. As for ki training, just keep doing what Kuroka tells you and you'll be fine," said Azazel-sensei, calmly. "Anyways, I need to get back to the lab and, Valerie, can you come along? It's about that thing we talked about."

I cocked a brow in confusion at sensei's words and glanced over to Valerie who wore a bit of a serious expression.

"I'll be back Ise-sama. Azazel-sama is going to help me with various things," said Valerie before flashing me a quick smile.

"I wish you two wouldn't hide it from me. Now I'm concerned," I said, pouting a bit. I didn't like it when my friends kept secrets from me.

"Ohoho, did you hear that, Valerie? Seems Ise is worried about you. You should make sure to console him soon," teased Azazel-sensei as he opened up a magic circle. Valerie's cheeks burned and but she managed to flash me an awkward smile and waved before entering the magic circle with sensei.

"Don't worry about it too much Issei. Sensei actually thinks Valerie has a Sacred Gear and wants to research it more. Since she can't manifest it like you or normal Sacred Gear users can, he's going to investigate," said Yumi, reassuringly.

"She does?! Ah, she is half human so it was possible…but why didn't they just tell me that?" I asked, confused. Then I remembered how Azazel-sensei can be and sighed. "Never mind, I already know the answer."

"Issei-sama," said a voice from behind me. I turned to find Yasaka-san had entered the room. "Now that we've gotten to this point in your training…I believe it's time to cover that _other_ area."

I cocked a brow at her in confusion and she sighed a bit.

"Issei-sama, what exactly have you done these past years?" asked Yasaka-san, randomly.

"What do you mean? You, Azazel-sensei, and Kuroka have trained me these past years. I've trained day and night without a break aside from the time I went to save Valerie and Yumi as well as the times I did missions for you," I said, confused when she already knew all this. She sighed again, only confusing me more.

"Issei-sama, you've basically neglected all of your studies since arriving here," said Yasaka-san, causing me to realize it.

"OH FUCK!" I shouted, Kunou and Yumi giggling a bit at my profanity.

"Indeed. Do you remember anything from when you were in high school? I would guess not due to the lack of studying. Aside from your daily training, I believe it is time to reteach you all that you've neglected these past years," said Yasaka-san, calmly.

Uwaaah! I totally forgot about studying and now I have to spend all my free time cramming!

"Shall we begin?" asked Yasaka-san, sounding a bit sadistic.

I just nodded in response, silent tears of my soon to be suffering flowing down my cheeks.

* * *

 ** _Nearly a year later…_**

"And we're finally caught up," said Yasaka-san as she slammed her book shut. I had my head down on the table, steam blowing out my ears after our final cram session. Yasaka-san had done it. She retaught me almost ten years' worth of schooling in less than a year…my brain might explode.

"Um…Yasaka-san, although I participated in this, will I really be needing it?" asked Yumi, a bit confused.

"Well, Yumi, I thought you planned to enroll in the same school as Issei-sama. I forged some documentation so you should be able to get in without much difficulty," explained Yasaka-san.

"Ah…I wasn't really planning on but I guess I could if I could be in the same class as Issei," said Yumi, blushing a bit. Honestly, this girl doesn't like to be away from me for long.

"Agh…my head is pulsing and tomorrow is the big day. I hope my headache goes away by then," I complained, nervously. Of course I was nervous. Tomorrow is the day I finally get reunited with my comrades. I hope it all goes well. I hope they don't reject me because I'm an angel. Actually, I should probably keep that a secret until-.

"Issei-sama, relax," said Yasaka-san, interrupting my thought train. "I can see the worry on your face. Everything will go smoothly so you needn't worry."

"I hope so…where's Ophis, by the way? She'll have to hide with you for a bit until everything goes smoothly on my end. I don't want everyone to freak out when they see her," I said, looking around the for loli dragon god.

"She's playing videogames with Valerie. Although she doesn't show it, I think she's going to miss us," said Yumi, smiling a bit.

Ah, that's true. Even someone as emotionless as her would still miss her friends.

I got up and walked over to my room to find the two playing some game I didn't recognize on my GameCube and walked up behind Ophis.

"So, Valerie, are you ready for tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yes, Ise-sama. I have my things packed and I am ready to go as soon as you want. I'm just keep Ophis-sama entertained," said Valerie, not looking away from the screen so as to not mess up.

"That's good," I said before sitting down between them. "How are you, Ophis? Ready to spend some time with Yasaka-san?" I asked, smiling a bit.

"Yes," said Ophis plainly. After I could see someone's health drop to zero, followed by a groan from Valerie, Ophis turned to me. She climbed up onto my lap and sat down before turning to face the TV and their game restarted.

"Uh…Ophis? What are you doing?" I asked, a bit surprised by her actions, though enjoying her small buttocks on my lap.

"I saw in an anime that girls do this to be 'affectionate' with men they are fond of. I wish to be 'affectionate' with Issei before we are separated for a while," said Ophis, simply. I glanced to Valerie, who looked back at me, but we accepted it since we knew it was probably Ophis showing that she will miss us. Honestly, this little dragon god is too innocent.

* * *

It was the next day now and we arrived in Kuoh town. I had arrived with my parents early that morning, moving back into our old house which had been rented out over the years since dad's job transfer had only been temporary.

Yumi and Valerie had come via magic circle, the three of us meeting up some time later. If was around noon now and we were on our way to Kuoh Academy.

I was wearing the Ring of Dispel to ensure I wouldn't be found out and Valerie and Yumi were just suppressing their normal power. Apparently Azazel-sensei had already worked out the formalities with the Kuoh Academy's principal and we just had to pick up our uniforms from the nurse's office and we would start class tomorrow. We were going to get our schedule and classroom assignments, too, so we planned to check out our classes so we didn't have any trouble finding them tomorrow.

After arriving at the nurse's office, we looked around, wondering where the nurse could be.

"Um, hello?" I called in. I remember our nurse was a bit of an airhead so she might've forgotten we were coming.

"Eh? Oh no! Ow! Ow!" shouted a woman after several crashing sounds. The girls and I rushed in to find the nurse on the floor, rubbing her head, and a box on the floor.

"Are you okay?" I asked, holding out my hand to her. Normally I would be gushing at a beautiful woman, but this one wasn't one I could be interested in. She's so much of an airhead that even I try to avoid her when I can.

"Ah, thank you," said the nurse before taking my hand. I hoisted her up and she whined a bit as she rubbed her head. "I was trying to get the box of uniforms for some new students and it fell off the shelf and hit me in the head…ah! Are you three the new students…um…Itei, Yaki, and Vannity?"

Not even close, I sighed, hoping we could get this over with and leave.

"Issei, Yumi, and Valerie," I said, pointing to each of us in order. She moaned out a sorry before bending over and picking up the box of uniforms. She placed it on the bed and opened it up.

"The first ones are complementary and you'll need to buy any more that you need," she said as she handed us our uniforms. "Feel free to change here if you want. Otherwise, you can just take them home."

"I think we'll just take them home," I said. No reason to wear it if we're not going to class. I turned the uniform, encased in a plastic film, around and found my schedule taped to the plastic. Good, now we don't need to stop anywhere.

"Thank you very much, we'll be leaving now," said Valerie, politely. The nurse nodded and we quickly left, hearing another 'Oh no!' as we left. We sweat-dropped but kept going not wanting to return to that clumsy woman.

Now there's just one thing left to do, and it's going to be the hardest thing. Time to re-meet the ORC. Damn am I nervous.

* * *

 _ **So?**_

 _ **What did you guys think?**_

 _ **So first of all, to that guy who commented about the sword as well as to everyone else, I plan to keep the events that happened AFTER Ise came back after dying from Samael's poison as close to canon as I can. Meaning that certain person is going to have the sword and Qlippoth as well as some other canon events which I plan to adjust for my story. One of the only major things that won't appear will probably be Dragon Deification cause well, you know how it comes about and my story doesn't allow for it to happen.**_

 _ **Anyways, though, I do plan to eventually make this story H so look forward to that in the far future ;)**_

 _ **Review to let me know what you guys thought and until next time...byeee :D**_


	24. Volume 3 Life 0

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Oh my gosh! I was finally able to finish this!**_

 _ **So guys, let me give you a run down of my life so far and why the chapter I meant to post within the first week of January is coming out NOW**_

 _ **After Christmas, I went on vacation for a week, I got home and immediately started the new semester at college, and my work needed me to work extra hours because holiday season. I also had to reorganize my house, help my dad dismantle one of the rooms in my house so he could turn it into an office, go with my parents to see family and friends of the family that I didn't really want to see and, on this long list of things I've had to do, I was sick for about a week and a half with a lingering headache and congestion that messed me up enough that I couldn't write properly.**_

 ** _The good part is, that when I finally did have time to write, I kinda went overboard on the word count. I know that some of you are like '3k words?' that's short but for me that's a lot. This chapter is insanely long for me, coming out at a whopping 5k words. Look forward to it!_**

 ** _ENJOY!_**

* * *

 **Volume 3**

 **Life.0**

I, Hyoudou Issei, was walking with Yumi and Valerie to the Old School building to reconnect with my friends of the ORC. School had let out twenty minutes earlier and we had waited a bit to give them a chance to all meet up in the clubroom before going to see them.

We walked in through the front door and I led the two girls up to the clubroom. Just before I could knock on the door, it suddenly creaked open, surprising me. The one who opened it was Kiba who looked at me a bit suspiciously.

"Can I help you?" asked Kiba, putting on a clearly fake smile.

"Ah, yeah, we're new students at the school and we wanted to meet you guys," I said, trying not to make it too obvious what I was here for. Kiba eyed me for a moment, looking unsure of whether or not to let us in before a voice from inside the room sounded out.

"Let them in, Kiba. I welcome new people who want to study the occult. This is the _Occult Research Club_ after all," said the familiar voice. I had to hold back my emotions as I heard that voice that I had missed for so long. I, of course, was extremely happy to see Kiba, my best friend, but hearing her voice after all these years made my heart go crazy. I mean, it is the voice of the one I love more than anyone.

Kiba let us in after being told to, still eyeing us a bit suspiciously, and we entered the clubroom. I saw Rias and Akeno were there but my cute junior was absent. Well, dealing with three is better than four.

"So, how can I help you all? Interested in learning something about the occult?" asked Rias, giving us a welcome smile, though her eyes were wary.

"Ah, well, we came here to meet you all. I actually wanted to join you. My friends here just wanted to come with me," I said, still not just blatantly blurting it out.

"So you want to join the club? Well, I'll have to see how worthy you are and your devotion to the occul-," said Rias before Akeno cut her off.

"Oh Ise, would you just get on with it," said Akeno, a bit annoyed for some reason. Rias glanced at her suspiciously and then back at before I sighed.

"I'm actually here to join your peerage. I'm childhood friends with Akeno, by the way, which is why she knows me," I said, half lying. Technically we were childhood friends. We've just been friends since before that.

"Akeno, I wish you had mentioned something about this instead of surprising me," said Rias, a bit annoyed about being kept in the dark. She leaned back in her chair behind her desk and sighed a bit. "Why should I use a piece on you? You already know I'm a devil and we don't exactly do things that won't benefit us."

"Well, you're not really going to be wasting any pieces," said Yumi, interjecting into our conversation. It took Rias a moment to understand what she meant by this and she all but leapt out of her seat.

"What?! You're the pawn?!" shouted Rias in shock. I could feel Kiba tense up a bit behind me while Akeno giggled to herself.

"Ah, yeah. Sorry about making you wait another year," I said, rubbing the back of my head, apologetically.

"I don't care about the wait now that you're here. Ten years isn't much in the lifespan of a devil. Though I do wish you would give me some explanations. Honestly, the most confusing thing in my life has been you," said Rias, calming down a bit.

"Ah, well there's a lot I can't talk about yet. Some issues and such. But I can tell you that I've gotten stronger since a year ago. I can show you but only after you've officially made me your pawn," I said, a bit sly. Rias tends to lose out to her curiosity. She'll take the bait if I tell her something like that.

And I was right. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, Rias bit her lip in frustration and then began to gnaw on the nail of her thumb. She seemed like she was internally debating something before glancing at Kiba. I turned back to him and he looked me dead in the eyes before turning back to Rias and nodding. I turned around after Rias sighed and nodded.

"Fine. It's not like I'm wasting any pieces. I'm just giving you back the ones assigned to you," said Rias as she rummaged in the desk drawer. She pulled out a small pouch and pulled out eight glowing pawn pieces, setting them down in a line at the front end of the desk. "Are you pieces happy now? Your owner is here."

I reached out to the pieces, curiously, and they began to glow a bit brighter before floating up and surrounding me in a circle. I was surprised by this and looked around before looking back at Rias.

"Let's get this over with so you can show me something good," said Rias, giving me a greedy smile. She closed her eyes for a moment, humming something unintelligible, and then she opened her eyes. "I, Rias Gremory, accept this man as my servant and give him the eight pawn pieces assigned to him. I use my authority as [King] to grant him the title of [Pawn]. May he serve me 'til death."

The pawn pieces around me glowed even brighter than before, still circling around me, and then one of then flew into my chest, phasing into me. The others followed suit soon all the pieces were inside of me. I felt a pulse of energy in my body and I flinched a bit as I felt the burning sensation of the pieces realigning themselves in my body. After the burning stopped, I felt the familiar pulse of demonic energy in my body and I sighed in relief. It felt so good to have that back. I honestly don't know what I would've done if I hadn't been able to feel this sensation again.

I patted my chest, happily, but I didn't have much time to enjoy the feeling as I could feel Rias' eyes on me.

"I almost forgot, we haven't properly introduced ourselves," said Rias, smiling at me. "My name is Rias Gremory, as you heard a moment ago, and that man behind you is Kiba Yuuto. You already know Akeno. There's one more of us that you have yet to meet but she's running a few errands for me. She'll be back by the time we finish."

"Ah, my name is Hyoudou Issei and this is Yumi and Valerie. They're also involved in the supernatural but I'll tell you about that later. Where do you want to go to test out my powers? The school isn't the best place unless you want to have to repair everything," I said, sheepishly. I don't mean to brag or anything, but even at my weakest output, I would cause some problems. I've never been very good at holding back, though that's probably because I had to go all out against these crazy opponents that were always much stronger than I was.

"We can transport somewhere. My family has plenty of land that we could use," said Rias.

"Alright. I'm ready to go when you are," I said, stretching out my shoulders a bit.

"Okay then. Akeno, prepare the magic circle in the other room. You'll be sparring against Kiba after you tell us a bit about your powers. Hope you don't mind too much," said Rias, a bit mockingly.

"That's fine. It'll be nice to spar against someone who can't wipe the floor with me for once," I said, jokingly. Rias seemed to exchange a wary glance with Kiba and I felt as though I may have said too much. I have to be careful. Until they, hopefully, regain their memories, I'm supposed to pretend I don't know anything about them.

* * *

We were transferred to an unfamiliar place after we all got onto the transportation magic circle. It was a rockier and more mountainous region than training ground we used before fighting Raiser and there was only a large cabin nearby.

I was looking around with interest before being interrupted by an 'Ahem', causing me to turn around. I found Rias staring at me, arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Okay, okay. I know you're waiting," I said before sitting down, cross legged. "Okay, so first of all, you two should know, I have a Sacred Gear."

"Hm, well that gives some explanation to why you're involved with the supernatural. What is it?" asked Rias, curiosity in her eyes.

"Well, it's…" I said before phasing on my Balance Breaker. "The Boosted Gear. I'm the Sekiryuutei."

Kiba and Rias stood there, their eyes wide and both tensed a bit more than I would have liked. I deactivated Balance Breaker and sat there, waiting for them to snap out of it. Almost a minute later, Rias turned to Akeno, a vein popping out of her forehead.

" _Akeno,_ when were you planning to tell me that your childhood friend, the pawn that I've been searching for, for almost ten years, has one of the strongest Sacred Gears in the world! Honestly, now I know why you were in such a bad mood in Kyoto. He was there and you knew it before we got there. You knew he didn't want to meet up with us yet which is why you were annoyed that we were there," said Rias, annoyed.

"Ara ara, Buchou is so scary. To be honest, though, Buchou never asked about my past relationships, so I didn't bother saying anything," said Akeno, nonchalantly. Rias gritted her teeth a bit but just let out an angry sigh before turning back to me.

"What else?" asked Rias, bluntly.

"Well, I also have Ascalon, the holy-dragon slaying sword. Kind of ironic for a dragon to be carrying a dragon slaying sword," I said, laughing a bit.

"I'm not even going to ask how you got that," said Rias, rubbing her temples in frustration.

"So you're a swordsman as well? I'd love to take you on," said Kiba, a small grin on his face.

"You're on. Let's see if we can have a good spar," I said, grinning back at him. I got up and manifested my gauntlet before releasing Ascalon. I pulled it out of my gauntlet and then made my Boosted Gear disappear. "Ready to go."

Kiba grinned at me again and pulled a sword from the ground before moving into a stance.

"I forgot to mention, I'm also a Sacred Gear user. I can create any kind of demonic sword I want. This one isn't too crazy since this is just to test your sword skills," said Kiba, calmly. I nodded and swung Ascalon around in my hand before moving into my own stance. Rias gave a simple signal and we both bolted out across the ground. When we reached each other, we smashed our swords against each other, my sword pushing Kiba back since I had more brute force than Kiba does.

Kiba quickly recovered and spun around, preparing to slash at my legs. I jumped up and over him before slashing downward. Kiba created another sword using his Sacred Gear and blocked my slash with it, parrying it off to the side. I landed but had to immediately dodge a sword Kiba had thrown at me before recovering and catching one of his slashes with Ascalon. Kiba created another sword again and also smashed that one against Ascalon, putting as much of his weight as possible into pushing down on me. I gritted my teeth a bit and put enough force into pushing him back that I launched him a small distance away. We were both panting a bit but I rushed him, prepared to slash. I stopped, though, when I saw a zap of lightning come out in between us.

"Alright, I've seen enough," said Rias after nodding to Akeno. I put Ascalon away while Kiba dematerialized his swords and we walked over to the girls. "Seems you two are almost equal, Yuuto being a little bit better, but you clearly have much more physical strength than he does. And that's without using anything else, like the Boosted Gear."

"Yes, I believe if you had used your Sacred Gear I would have been easily defeated. Seems I'll have to work hard to catch up to my new junior," said Kiba smiling a bit. "I'm not sure what it is but sparring with you felt so nostalgic. So strange."

Not so strange when you realize we used to spar all the time.

"Issei, are you finally going to talk about us?" asked Yumi, looking a bit bored sitting on a rock next to Valerie.

"Ah, yeah I guess I should. So, I'll start with Yumi. We met a long time ago. Kiba, do you remember…that place," I said, frowning a bit. Kiba stared at me with a stunned expression and he looked like he was gritting his teeth a bit. "Do you remember, the intruder who broke into that cursed church?"

"…Wait…the warrior in red…that…that was you?" said Kiba after realizing what I was getting at.

"Yeah. I found out about what was going on at the church and went off on my own against the orders of the ones I was staying with to try and help all of you. I'm really sorry that I failed to protect the others," I said, bowing deeply. Kiba didn't speak for a moment and I peeked up at him. His eyes were a bit glassy and he had to cover his mouth. "Although I couldn't save all of them like I wanted…I managed to save one girl."

I stood back up and gestured to Yumi, finding that she had teary eyes after realizing that Kiba was the one she had been looking forward to meeting.

"You're…I…didn't realize it at first, you look so different. Is that you, Ruth?" asked Kiba, his voice cracking. Yumi nodded and she smiled, brightly at him.

"Issei told me. He told me there was someone else who survived for sure. That he would let me meet you at one point. I didn't think it would be you, Isaiah. I didn't even realize it was you until he brought it up. To think you managed to survive that hell," said Yumi, a tear making its way down her cheek. They moved closer to each other before giving each other a tight embrace. It only took a moment before their emotions spilled over, both of them crying, though Yumi cried a bit more violently than Kiba.

Even Rias was smiling, happily, at the scene after she realized just what had happened.

It was a few minutes later now and Kiba and Yumi had sat together off to the side to catch up. Rias and I hadn't minded since we were happy that they were happy. Kiba, my friend, I hope I did some right by you after all the kindness you've given me.

"So, now Valerie," said Rias, curious.

"Well, Valerie's background is a bit messy and we can deal with clearing it up later. The only things you need to know is that she has a Sacred Gear, though she can't use it right now and she's a Dhampnir. Half-human, half-vampire," I explained, simply. Gasper wasn't here right now so there wasn't going to be much of a reunion.

"The Sacred Gear we can always deal with later but a Dhampnir. That's interesting," said Rias. Of course she would be interested. She has one in her peerage. "And is there any chance that Yumi or Valerie would like to join my peerage? I would love to have someone Kiba cares so much about to join and Dhampnir are always interesting."

"U-Um, well I don't mean to be rude, but I would only follow Ise-sama. I planned to become a part of his peerage whenever he is given the ability to make one," said Valerie, interjecting. "Yumi told me she would like to do the same thing if she could, but she would have to talk to Artemis-sama about it."

"Artemis? The Greek goddess?" asked Rias, surprised.

"Ah, well Yumi made a pact with Artemis through some connections one of our comrades has. She has Artemis' blessing and some special archery gear. She's presently hiding her power subconsciously since she was training in stealth. Valerie is only hiding her power so it isn't distracting. I do the same thing, though mine is more subconscious like Yumi's," I explained, as simply as I could without giving too much away.

"Interesting…" said Rias, trailing off in thought.

"Should we go back soon so I can meet the last of my peerage senpai?" I asked, making a bit of a joke at the end. Technically, in this timeline I'm the first piece Rias ever had but I guess it isn't too big a deal.

"Yes, Koneko should be back by now. Yuuto," called Rias, interrupting Kiba and Yumi's conversation. He looked over, curious, and she waved him over. "We should go back now. My other questions can be left for a later date. Koneko is probably back and she will be confused to not see us there."

"Ah, yes, that's true. Ruth- er…Yumi, we can continue later. I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures," said Kiba, a true smile on his face. I'm glad to have been able to make you happy, my best friend.

"Yes, of course. I'd also love for you to get to know Issei, since it was him who is the reason I'm alive now," said Yumi, happily. Kiba nodded before turning back to Rias who, together with Akeno, activated a large magic circle that transported us back into the club room. Once there, we found a slightly startled Koneko.

"Ah, Koneko, you're back. Sorry to surprise you like that," said Rias, smiling a bit.

"It's okay, Buchou. Who are those two girls with you?" asked Koneko in a quiet, monotone voice.

"Ah, they're friends of a new person I've added to my peerage. Do you two mind moving out of the way?" asked Rias, gesturing to Kiba and Yumi who were standing in front of me. They moved to the side and Koneko looked at me before I smiled, relaxing a bit at the sight of my cute little kouhai.

"Yo, Koneko-chan," I said, happily, waving a hand at her. Koneko seemed to stare at me for a moment, her eyes a bit wider than I expected and then…

"*gasp* Koneko, are you alright?" asked Rias, a bit panicked, as she went over to check on Koneko.

"Eh?" said Koneko a bit surprised. Rias pointed upward and Koneko touched her head to find that her cat ears were out. She then reached around to find her tail was also out and she immediately panicked before making them both disappear. She trembled a bit before Rias hugged her and I was reminded about how Koneko was afraid of her nekoshou powers because of her sister. I'll have to have Kuroka talk with her when things settle down.

It was almost ten minutes later now and Koneko had calmed down a bit. Rias had her sitting next to Akeno and Kiba who were comforting her.

Rias had pulled me to the side a bit.

"So, I'm sure you're at least a bit aware of what that was," said Rias, looking worriedly in Koneko's direction.

"Well, she's a nekomata, right?" I asked, playing dumb.

"No, a nekoshou. A type of rare and powerful nekoshou. She has been suppressing her powers due to some things that happened when she was younger but something like that has never happened before. She probably thinks her power is going out of control," said Rias, her thought seeming to drift before turned her eyes on me. "Did you have anything to do with that?"

"I mean, not purposefully," I admitted. She squinted her eyes at me just a bit and I sighed. "Well, I'm a ki user and I kind of relaxed my guard after seeing her for some reason. I might've let some of my ki out."

"Hm…only stronger beings can sense ki when they aren't users of it. And it is possible. Koneko isn't used to feeling the ki of others…also, why didn't you say any of this before? The Sekiryuutei, the wielder of Ascalon, _and_ a ki user. Honestly just how powerful are you," said Rias, pouting a bit, knowing I was still hiding things. Well, she'll understand soon enough. After all, it is all for her and the rest of our comrades. "Anyways, we'll meet up again tomorrow. I'll leave Akeno to inform you of anything you need to know since you're obviously acquainted."

Rias walked out of the room after that, Kiba getting up to come over to me just afterward.

"Seems Buchou is going to inform her family about the new addition," said Kiba, calmly. "Well it's nothing for you to worry about. Either ways, may I ask where exactly Ruth- I mean, Yumi, will be staying? I did want to continue our conversation."

"She'll be coming to my house. I had some help setting up a special room in my house for the girls to sleep in since my parents don't know about them. You can come over if you want," I said, nonchalantly. If Kiba plans to come over, then he can keep Yumi and Valerie entertained while Akeno and I can go to my room! Uooo the fantasies in my head won't stopppp~!

"That's good. Akeno, you should come as well to tell him about the rules and regulations. Koneko seems to be stable now," said Kiba, glancing over at Koneko.

"Yes that sounds fine. I'll tell Rias and then we can go together," said Akeno.

"I'll join you," said Kiba, following her. The two left the room and I glanced over at Yumi and Valerie who were engrossed in a conversation, Kiba's name coming up in it often.

Before I could interject, though, I felt eyes burning a hole in the side of my head. I glanced over to find Koneko staring at her, her eyes showing nothing but confusion and curiosity. I gave a small wave and she immediately averted her eyes, causing me to sigh. I got up and slowly made my way over, sitting down on the other end of the couch.

"Uh…hello! I'm Buchou's new pawn, Hyoudou Issei. I hope we'll be able to get along," I said, hopefully. Koneko's cold and harsh attitude to me at the beginning was something I remember clearly. Getting along with her will be a pain until she starts to warm up.

And look at that, she completely ignored my greeting. I sighed a bit and leaned back against the couch. I felt her eyes on me a few times, though I was looking up at the ceiling as I relaxed. I decided to try out the theory that it was my ki that agitated Koneko. This time, I would let out only a minimal amount. Just enough that she would barely be able to sense it. I felt the couch shake a bit as she jumped in place and I grinned at bit. This time I increased it and bit before feeling a strong punch to my arm, causing me to flinch.

"Stop it," said Koneko, annoyed.

"Sorry, sorry, I was just messing around a bit," I said, apologetically, while rubbing my sore arm.

"Ki isn't something to 'mess around with'. It's very, very dangerous," said Koneko, staring off a bit. I frowned, now feeling bad. I had never really realized how much Koneko was affected by her fear. I should have paid more attention.

"Do you, want to talk about it?" I asked, hoping she might be inclined to. She glared at me a bit before turning away. I frowned a bit and sighed. "You know, they say any power is dangerous, if you don't use it right."

"…Ki is different. Ki is alive, so it does whatever it wants," said Koneko, quietly.

"Did ki hurt you? Or was it someone using it?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"No," said Koneko, simply. "But I'm afraid it will turn me into someone that would kill their master."

"So you witnessed something like that, huh?" I said, leaning forward. "I can help you. My master taught me how to stop people when their ki is running amok."

Koneko turned to me, her interest caught.

"Something like that…are you just saying that to make me trust you?" asked Koneko, her eyes suspicious.

"I can prove it. I can stop your ki in its tracks if I hit certain pressure points," I said, seriously. Koneko frowned a bit and looked away.

"I…don't want to use my ki so you can prove it…" said Koneko.

"Koneko-chan, she's my master, too, now. I won't let you hurt her, but I also won't let your ki control you. We're comrades now, even if you don't feel like we are," I said, seriously. "I'll protect you and Buchou with my life. I swear it."

Koneko stared at me for a moment, surprised. I also heard silence from Yumi and Valerie, both probably listening out of curiosity.

"When I felt your ki before, I was surprised because it felt so familiar and nostalgic. I was so surprised I didn't notice I transformed. Even now, I don't feel uncomfortable around you. I don't know why…but hearing you say that kind og thing…makes me feel relieved," said Koneko, cracking a small smile.

"Ne, Valerie, look at our Issei. He's catching other girls' hearts even though he already has ours and Akeno-san's," said Yumi, teasingly from off to the side.

"Ise-sama did say something about becoming a harem king, right? I wonder how many girls he will want," said Valerie, equally as teasing.

"Oi, oi, what are you guys teasing me about? I mean, I do one day plan to become harem king, having all the beautiful women that I love in it, but you girls shouldn't tease Koneko-chan like tha- GUOOO!" I said before being punched hard in the stomach.

"Perverts are the worst," said Koneko, her eyes full of annoyance. I slumped back a bit in the couch, clutching my stomach.

"Ah~, Koneko-sama's punches hurt~. Ah, but this is something I will have to suffer through to become Harem King," I said, cringing a bit. Before I or Koneko could say or do anything else, I felt a painful headache overpower the pain in my stomach, causing me to wince. I heard Koneko do the same and squinted through the pain at her. The pain ceased as abruptly as it started and I looked over at Koneko, curious. Had she just…?

She looked up at me, her eyes completely different from before. They were much softer and her eyes almost looked happy to see me there.

"Ise-senpai? What's-?" began Koneko, confused.

"Eh? Issei, did she just do that weird memory thing that I heard you mention once?" asked Yumi, surprised.

"Yes. I can't believe the thing that unlocked her memory was me talking about becoming a Harem King," I said, a bit annoyed that most of the triggers for people's memory had to do with my perverted nature. "Koneko-chan, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember we were in the Dimensional Gap trying to rescue Ophis and…you were left behind to fight Shalba," said Koneko before looking at me worriedly.

"Ah, well I killed him but he pulled a cheap trick that was going to kill me," I said, hoping Koneko wouldn't be as shocked as Akeno just to find she her expression immediately turned somber.

"Senpai…died? But then how…?" asked Koneko, sounding a bit horrified. Even her ki felt agitated.

"Ophis transported us back in time so I could redo everything. Kind of like a reset in videogames. I spent the last ten years reliving my life while training hard. Apparently people who were very close to me have a chance to regain their memories. That's what happened to you," I explained. "So far, only Akeno, Vali, Azazel-sensei, Yasaka-san, and Kunou remember everything aside from me and Ophis. So you should probably act the way you did around this point until the others start to remember."

"It's confusing but you are alright, right Issei-senpai?" asked Koneko, worried. I smiled and nodded, causing her to smile. "Then I can deal with it."

Just moments later, Akeno and Kiba reentered the room.

"Buchou gave the okay. Now we can go over to Ise-kun's home," said Kiba, smiling as he said that.

Ah~ the eventful day continues~.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Please, please! Let me know if Koneko or Kiba were OOC. I haven't written for them before and Koneko's personality type is especially hard for me since I'm the opposite of her.**_

 _ **Make sure to Review to let me know what you gusy thought and I hope to have the next chapter out by Valentine's.**_

 _ **Until next time...byeee :D**_


	25. Volume 3 Life 1

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Sooooo remember how I said the chapter would be out by Valentine's? Well, that idea went out the window!**_

 _ **I was so into some detail work for how I was going to set up future events that it kept halting production on this chapter (I even had to redo a whole section of it).**_

 _ **So sorry about the wait, but without further ado~ ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.1**

It was some time later now and I, Hyoudou Issei, had arrived at my house with Yumi, Valerie, Akeno, Koneko-chan, and Kiba. We were just walking in the door and bumped into my parents who were coming out of the sitting room.

"Ah, Ise, you're back," said mom, surprised by the group I brought with me. "Who are all those children behind you?"

"Quite a few of them, too. Did you make so many friends on your first day back?" said dad, adjusting his glasses as he got a good look at everyone.

"We're some friends he made on his first day. My name is Kiba Yuuto. Pleasure to meet you both," said Kiba, bowing a bit to my parents. My parents praised him for his manners, making me glare at him since my parents gave me a sour look. Sorry for not being crazy polite like this bishounen here!

"I am Toujou Koneko. I am Ise-senpai's junior. I hope we can get along," said Koneko-chan, also bowing.

"Ah, I'm Yumi," said Yumi.

"And I am Valerie," said Valerie.

"Thank you for having us," said both together.

"Hello, father, mother," said Akeno, popping up from the back.

"Ohhh~!" said mom and dad in unison.

"Is that Akeno-chan. My my, what a fine lady she's grown up to be," said dad, adjusting his glasses again.

"So beautiful, and polite. It's good to see you after so long, Akeno," said mom, happily.

"You all can go up to hang out in Ise's room. It's the second door on the left after you go upstairs. If you need anything, Ise will take care of you," said dad, happily. Kiba, Yumi, Valerie, and Koneko nodded and walked upstairs, three of the four knowing exactly where my room was.

"It's good to see you both again after so long," said Akeno, happily.

"Of course it is the same for us. It's been so long, though. I wish you and Ise would have been able to keep in touch," said mom, pouting.

"Akeno," said dad, a bit seriously, as he put a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's been a while…but if you need anything, please feel free to impose. After what happened with your parents all those years ago…"

"Ah…thank you father. Ise's been comforting me since we reunited so you don't have to worry too much. I'm rooming with some friends for now because I wanted to return to this town," said Akeno, smiling.

"Please do come over whenever you like. We'd be happy for have you for dinner," said mom.

"Thank you mother. I'll be sure to come even if Ise doesn't invite me," said Akeno, a bit mockingly, as she threw a glance in my direction. My dad laughed a bit before excusing himself to give us time to go and meet up with the others.

Akeno and I wandered upstairs, Akeno wearing a pleasant smile on her face. Mom and Dad wanted to make sure Akeno knew they were there for her. Aside from Rias' parents, she probably hasn't been made to feel welcome much. I'm happy that they did that for her.

We arrived at my room to find the girls and Kiba making themselves comfortable.

"Your room is very stylish, Ise-kun. Not messy, but not plain either," said Kiba, smiling a bit as he looked around at the martial arts and anime posters I had.

"I'm surprised Yumi didn't show you her and Valerie's room. I thought you two might want to talk in there," I said, wondering why they hadn't gone there.

"Ah, well, I thought we'd relax and talk altogether first. Valerie and I don't know much about Toujou-san or Kiba. I'd also like to learn some more about Akeno since all we know is what you've told us," said Yumi.

"What would you like to know?" asked Akeno as we sat down.

"Well, Issei told us, and I don't mean to be rude, that you're half fallen angel. I was wondering if I could see your wings?" asked Yumi.

"Ah, Akeno-san is very-," began Kiba before being cut off by Akeno.

"It's fine, Kiba. Most people are curious about these sorts of things," said Akeno before releasing her fallen angel wings. Black feathers fell off of them and Yumi looked at them with interest.

"Cool," said Yumi, simply.

"They're quite beautiful," said Valerie.

"Thank you. Though I hate these wings of mine, someone I care about thinks they're beautiful because they're a part of me. I'll just have to live with them then, won't I," said Akeno, shooting me a glance.

"It looks like Ise-senpai has seduced Akeno-fukubuchou with lewd words," said Koneko-chan, glaring over at me. I sighed a bit, rubbing the back of my head.

Ah~, Koneko-sama's words are so harsh~!

"Um…" began Valerie. "Kiba-kun, I was wondering, if it wasn't too personal, if you could tell us about _that place._ Yumi, doesn't talk much about it and Ise-sama said it's not for him to talk about."

"Valerie, you shouldn't-," I began before being cut off by Kiba.

"Don't worry Ise-kun. It's only fair that she knows a bit about our backstory," said Kiba, calmly. "Yumi and I were a part of a project called the Holy Sword Project. It was one that was designed to take in children, most orphans, and somehow make them capable of wielding those shitty Excaliburs. Before Ise-kun came in, there were already rumors about them possibly getting rid of us, but no one thought it was true. Looking back, we were probably just in denial. If it hadn't been for Ise-kun, the warrior in red as we called him, then we wouldn't have had the chance to escape. I asked Buchou if she could find any survivors after I became her piece, but she said everyone else died. I guess Ruth- Yumi, was hidden with you so well she wasn't able to find her."

"Ah…" said Valerie, looking a bit confused. I don't really understand what she's confused about. Kiba made it simple.

"What's wrong? Is there something that confused you?" asked Kiba, curious.

"Ah, well, Ise-sama, you…have one don't you?" asked Valerie. Kiba and I both immediately understood what she was talking about and I sighed while I heard Kiba's teeth grind together.

"Yuuto-kun, relax," said Akeno, seriously.

"I won't start anything Akeno-fukubuchou. I just need to see it," said Kiba, angrily. Ugh, Valerie, I really wish you hadn't said anything! This guy gets super annoyed by even the mention of Holy Swords until we team up with Irina and Xenovia later on. "Show it to me, Ise-kun."

I sighed again and reached into another space. I pulled out Excalibur Rapidly and placed it on the table.

"Ise, that didn't hurt you to touch it?" asked Akeno, curious.

"Apparently, high level Holy Swords like this don't hurt the one they've chosen. It's just like Ascalon," I explained, watching Kiba's reaction. Kiba's face couldn't settle on an emotion, flaring back and forth between anger, sadness, fear, and regret. I felt bad, watching my friend show such emotions, but I couldn't do much for him. This was a hurdle he'd have to pass on his own.

"How…How did you get it?" asked Kiba through his teeth.

"I stole it from that bastard after punching him in the nose," I said, calmly. Kiba seemed satisfied with this, putting on an angry grin before glancing over at Yumi.

"It doesn't bother you?" asked Kiba, curious.

"It's just a sword, Kiba. All of my hate is directed at the ones who did that to us. Plus, the one who wields _this_ sword is the one I've pledged myself to, as well as my savior. How could I be bothered by it?" said Yumi, hoping her words would calm him down a bit.

Kiba seemed to glare down at the sword again before taking a deep breath.

"Yumi, do you mind showing me your room? I'd love to talk more about your contract with Artemis," said Kiba, forcing a smile. Yumi looked at him for a moment with a blank expression before nodding and getting up.

"Ah, um, I will go too! Yumi and I haven't prepared our room for visitors," said Valerie, blushing a bit. I wonder what kind of things she left lying around?

Kiba, Yumi, and Valerie, all left the room, leaving Akeno, Koneko-chan, and I alone. I sighed again before putting away Excalibur Rapidly.

"Don't worry, Senpai. Kiba-kun will be normal after he reaches Balance Breaker like that again," said Koneko-chan, patting my shoulder.

"Well, while those three are gone," began Akeno from off to the side. "Why don't we get comfortable?"

I glanced over to Akeno to find her taking off her skirt.

Uoooo! Akeno what are you doing right now!

"I won't lose to Akeno-fukubuchou," said Koneko-chan, releasing her cat ears and tail while also taking off her skirt. Both girls tossed their skirts to the side and pressed against me, making my blood boil from how hot I was getting.

These beautiful women are too much sometimes!

"Nyaa~ Senpai, I want to cuddle," said Koneko-chan, playfully, as she rubbed into me.

"Koneko needs to wait her turn. I've been waiting years to be reunited with my precious Ise," said Akeno, pressing my face into her breasts. Uooo! It's been so long that this stimulation is too much for me! "Before this, Ise, I want to know just how strong you've gotten. You know how it flips my switch when you get stronger."

Oi! Oi! Akeno, why are you panting like you want something while you say such things~!

"I want to know, too, Ise-senpai. You and Akeno-fukubuchou have been talking a lot but I've missed a lot in this time," said Koneko-chan, looking up at me with curious, cute eyes.

"Ah…yeah, there's a lot to tell you then. I guess I should tell you that I trained with Yasaka-san and Azazel-sensei for most of the time since I came back 11 years ago. Yasaka-san, Kunou, Azazel-sensei, and Vali are the only ones aside from you two that regained your memories," I began explaining, having a hard time thinking with these two girls pressed to me.

"Ara ara, you lead with that, Ise? Not telling her about how you became an angel?" said Akeno, teasingly. I saw Koneko-chan's eyes widen in surprise and I sighed.

"Yes, some things happened with the System in Heaven and I became part angel," I said as I released my wings. "Apparently my dragon blood changed it a bit, though. I can't fall and my powers as an angel aren't as strong as most, but it gave me the ability to use ki, which you already know."

"Who taught senpai how to use ki? Was it Yasaka-sama?" asked Koneko-chan, curious.

"Ah, well…no. Well, you see, Koneko-chan, during the time that I was training, I went back to try and help each of you with the situations you were in. I went to try and save Kiba and his comrades, though I only saved Yumi, I went and managed to help Gasper a little, Valerie is one of his friends. The last one I tried to help was you…but I was stopped. Eventually though, I met up with your sister, Kuroka," I explained, wondering what she would say.

"So, Nee-sama taught you ki? But, Nee-sama wouldn't help you for nothing. She's not that nice," said Koneko-chan, squinting at me as she waited for me to respond.

"Well, that's the thing. Sensei suggested it to begin with and that was, for her to become my familiar. Since I didn't have one before that is," I said, before feeling Koneko-chan's grip on me tighten.

"And what exactly did Senpai offer Nee-sama in exchange for such a thing," said Koneko-chan, annoyed.

"Ah~, Koneko-sama is angry. Don't worry, I didn't offer anything bad. She just wanted me to treat her kindly and tell her about you…though Sensei did say something about babies off to the side that I didn't agree to," I said, receiving a punch to the stomach.

"Senpai is mine. You can't make babies with Nee-sama," said Koneko-chan, wearing a frown.

Koneko-chan~ you're so cute when you make jealous comments like that~!

"How far did Kuroka say you've come, Ise?" asked Akeno, ignoring Koneko-chan's frowning face. "If it was someone like her you must have come far, right?"

"Ah, yeah, well, it might be easier to show you. Let's go to a space Azazel-sensei prepared for me and I'll show it to you properly," I said, standing up. The girls nodded in response and I created a magic circle on the wall that we walked into to transfer to that pocket dimension.

* * *

 ** _Rias POV_**

"Ah~" I, Rias Gremory, sighed as I fell into my couch at my apartment. Akeno and Koneko were over at Issei's house with Kiba. I was all alone in my large apartment. It didn't bother me much, since I still needed a moment to figure out how I was going to explain this to Onii-sama. I mean, I hope he doesn't try to perform some heavy or invasive investigation. The Sekiryuutei, a wielder of Ascalon, a ki user…who knows what else.

Well, it wouldn't be good to keep putting it off. I'll just contact Onii-sama.

I created a small communication-type magic circle next to my ear and heard a soft buzz as I waited for Onii-sama to accept the call.

"Hello? Rias, what's the matter?" asked Onii-sama, sounding a bit worried.

"Good evening, Onii-sama. Nothing's the matter…at least it shouldn't be a problem. I added someone to my peerage today and wanted to report it to you," I said, wondering how he would react when I told him.

"Hmm…That's interesting. Who is this new member?" asked Onii-sama, now sounding curious.

"Well, he's the pawn I've been waiting for," I said.

"What? That pawn that has all those mutation pieces? Hmm…I may have to make a trip to meet him. What is he like?" asked Onii-sama.

"Well, I found out why he took all eight pawn pieces. He's the Sekiryuutei," I said.

"What?! Impressive. I wasn't expecting the Red Dragon to have joined us. What kind of story is this going to come out to? The mutation pieces must be dealing with some of his other powers. Did he tell you any? I presume someone like him wouldn't reveal too much until he could trust you all more. Now I really have to make a visit," said Onii-sama, rabbling a bit.

"Well, he can use ki, enough so that it bothered Koneko which has never happened. She's okay now. He's also an impressive swordsman and is wielding Ascalon. I was shocked but I didn't even want to ask him how he got it," I explained. I waited for a moment, the other line silent. "Onii-sama?"

"Ah, sorry, Ria-tan. I was thinking about something. Ascalon is interesting. I do remember Michael mentioning it to me that someone may be using it. We'll have to see what happens. He's a human reincarnated devil, correct?" asked Onii-sama, almost sounding wary.

"Yes, why?" I asked. He shrugged it off with a 'No reason' and I sighed. "Onii-sama, if you plan to pay a visit, please don't put anything important off. Onee-sama will scold you again.

"Ahaha, Ria-tan knows me so well. I'll be careful with that. Talk to you soon," said Onii-sama.

"Goodbye, Onii-sama," I said before releasing the magic circle.

I wonder what that pause was about…and the question. Why does it matter if he was human or not?

I guess there are still a lot of mysteries surrounding my new pawn. I wonder what's to come?

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **It's been awhile since I've done a change in POV. At least it feels like it. Maybe it hasn't been.**_

 _ **Well, anyways, let me know what you guys think and this time I won't set a dead set time since I don't want to get hopes up. I will say that I hope not to take more than two weeks so look forward to that.**_

 _ **Until next time...byeee :D**_


	26. Volume 3 Life 2

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So I'm actually relatively on time this time. YAY!**_

 _ **Now then, this chapter is, sadly, shorter than I had planned to make it but that's mostly because I'm still thinking how to tackle this part of the story. You'll know by the end of the chapter.**_

 _ **Anyways, I'll talk more about it after, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.2**

 _Ise POV_

Akeno, Koneko-chan, and I, Hyoudou Issei, were presently in the special training space that Azazel-sensei helped to create. As soon as we got in here, Akeno used magic to create her priestess outfit and she was presently flying in the sky with her Fallen Angel wings. I was really surprised when she first took them out because there were four instead of the usual two. Doesn't having more than one pair of wings means you're pretty strong?

"Ufufu, Ise looks so surprised. I haven't been slacking off all these years, you know. I worked hard to surpass my previous self so these extra wings are proof of that," said Akeno, smiling happily. Her expression then turned a bit sadistic and I sighed. "Now, why don't we see how far my precious Ise has come."

Akeno created two enormous dragons out of her lightning and I grinned a bit. So she was able to create those again? They seem even stronger.

"Twin Lightning Dragon!" shouted Akeno before launching both dragons toward me. The dragons roared as they approached me, also making loud crackling noises from the lightning. I grinned and coated both my hands in a thick layer of ki. Just as the dragons were about to hit me, I grabbed them both around their necks and looked up at Akeno who looked at me with wide eyes.

"Sorry, Akeno, but this isn't even to defeat me. You were probably thinking that the holy energy would do something to me but, if you coat your body in a thick enough layer of ki, you can protect yourself from most of the effects of holy energy. It doesn't work with touki though," I explained before smashing the dragons together, causing them to explode and disappear. "Now, then, Akeno, you better watch out or this is going to hurt."

I took in a deep breath and ignited a fire in my stomach. I fueled the fire with a large amount of magic and I breathed out enormous flames. As they blew out of me, I thought of the name of the move, that being 'Great Fire Breath'. The flames filled up an enormous amount of space in the sky and I was immediately worried that I might have over done it. I stopped breathing the flames out and, when they dispersed, I could see Akeno was still in the sky, surrounded by a golden ball of energy. She was smiling at me with a masochistic expression on her face and I sweat-dropped, wondering what I was worrying about.

"Ahn~, Ise has gotten so strong~! To have not only brushed away my attack to easily when I was going all out but to counter with something even stronger," shouted Akeno after releasing her protective sphere. She flew down to the ground, throwing her arms around my neck while pressing her face into my chest. "I wonder just how strong Ise really is. You didn't even use the Boosted Gear for that attack, right?"

"Actually, that attack was weak by my standards," I said, bluntly, causing Akeno and Koneko-chan to look at me with surprised expressions.

"Arara, Ise I had to put in a lot of effort to block that attack of yours. If I had let up even a little bit I would have gotten a little hotter than I might've liked," said Akeno, surprised.

"How much power does senpai think he used in that attack?" asked Koneko-chan, curious.

"Hmm…maybe 5%, 6% max. This space can't remain intact if I use any more than 25% of my total power so I'm used to holding back," I said, wondering how they would react. Both girls looked at me with such shocked expressions that I was getting worried. Was being this powerful that shocking?

"I want to see what Ise-senpai is like at 20% power," said Koneko-chan, her eyes sparkling a bit. Ah~, Koneko-chan is so cute when she has that curiosity in her eyes~!

I was a bit confused as to why she wanted to see such a thing, but it's been a while since I brought out that much power.

I nodded to Koneko-chan's request and Akeno let go of me, both girls taking a few steps back. I took a stance and closed my eyes, drawing out some of my suppressed power. I allowed my ki to flare up to a much higher level than normal and I felt the air around me grow erratic. I opened my eyes to look at Akeno and Koneko-chan and they both looked surprised and had their own underlying expressions. Akeno looked aroused and Koneko-chan's hair on her ears and tail looked like it was standing up on end, probably her nekoshou instincts causing her to be more defensive.

"Ah~, the pressure is so intense. And to think that this is only your ki alone. I can't imagine what it would be like if you were to go 100%," said Akeno, biting her finger, lustfully.

"Senpai…senpai would make strong babies. No wonder Nee-sama wants to do lewd things with senpai…" said Koneko-chan, partly sounding like she was talking to herself.

I smiled at both of them and suppressed my power.

"We should probably go back. It's getting late and Rias will get suspicious if we look strange. Also, you two shouldn't go back to late," I said, calmly.

"Ara ara, I guess you're right. I don't want to part with my precious Ise but it seems we will have to put off our special alone time," said Akeno, winking at me.

"Ah…yes! Another time," I said, blushing a bit as I thought of the lewd implications of what Akeno had just said. She smiled at me and I took Koneko-chan and Akeno back to my room. Both changed and went back via magic circle, both waving at me, happily as they did so.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Akeno, you taught Issei properly yesterday, right?" asked Rias after we were all gathered in front of her in the clubroom.

"Of course, _Buchou_. If I didn't, I'd be a bad vice president wouldn't I?" said Akeno, innocently. Rias looked over her suspiciously and sighed before leaning back in her chair.

"Then I guess that's fine. Issei, I reported to the Maou yesterday about you and he seems to be interested in you. He may make a visit soon so be sure to be on your best behavior," said Rias.

I was surprised by what she said. Sirzechs-sama wants to see me? It must be because I'm the Sekiryuutei but, this didn't happen so soon before. Something seems different.

"Anyways, that aside, I have some errands for you to run. Koneko-chan got most of the things we needed but there were a couple things I just realized we're low on. It'll be better to get them now than when they run out. You're going to start doing devil work tonight so I want you to be back at the clubroom by seven. Bring them when you come back. For now, though, everyone can just take it easy. It's a slow day today with requests so you should enjoy the break," said Rias before taking a sip of tea.

We all nodded in agreement at her advice, I taking the list of things she needed me to get from her desk. I glanced over the list and began planning for which stores I was going to need to go to.

I left the clubroom alone, the others just lounging about as I left.

I was half-way home when a magic circle appeared next to my ear, surprising me.

"Ise, how are you?" said a familiar voice from the other end.

"Ah! Sensei, I'm in public. What are you doing creating a random magic circle like that," I said, panicking a bit as I covered the magic circle.

"Ahaha, sorry about that, I was just busy and finally found time to contact you. How's everything going over there with the others?" asked Azazel-sensei.

"Good. Koneko-chan regained her memories. Kiba is frustrated because he found out I have an Excalibur fragment. He and Yumi were really happy to be reunited, though. I'm happy that I was able to do something for them," I said, smiling a bit to myself.

"Ah~, so Koneko is back in the harem? That's good," said Azazel-sensei, teasingly. "Kiba will get over it. Anyways, really I didn't call to just see how you're doing. I'm sure you have an idea."

"Is it…Raynare?" I asked, frowning now. I wasn't looking forward to this part of reliving everything.

"Yes. I sent her again to watch over you under the pretense that 'Watch him because his Sacred Gear could be dangerous'. She will almost certainly try to kill you again but I don't know how you want to go about it. Asia won't be coming into Kuoh town for three days but if Raynare gets killed, we won't know how that will affect her arrival. You should be careful how you play things out," said Azazel-sensei.

"I will. Thanks," I said, simply, before hanging up the magic circle.

Raynare…this isn't something I was looking forward to. For multiple reasons. I'll have to kill her in the end, I know that much. But I'll have to hold myself back while Asia continues to suffer under her. I can't get Asia back unless Raynare shows how evil she is.

I sighed a bit at this and continued on to my house, wondering what was going to happen.

* * *

It was later now and I was on my way back to the school to meet up with Rias and the others. I made sure to pass through the route I had taken on that day that Raynare revealed who she really was to me.

As I walked past the fountain, I paused for a minute to look at it. Although I hate her, I guess I should be thankful to Raynare. If it wasn't for her, I may never have gotten the chance to be a part of Rias' peerage. I wouldn't have had a chance to become the Sekiryuutei or meet all the people I care about now.

I could feel her now. Raynare.

"Why hello there, little devil," said a voice from above me. I looked up at her and glared. Thankful or not, I still hate this woman for what she did to Asia.

"Who are you?" I said, trying to hold back my annoyance.

"Ara, most newborn devils act surprised when they see a Fallen Angel for the first time. Well, whatever," said Raynare, creating a spear of light. "You're a danger to us, especially now that you're a devil. I need you to die for me."

The moment Raynare threw her light spear, I created an illusionary space around me that Yasaka-san taught me. I made it look like I was stabbed and dying from the spear she had thrown at me, though in reality, I caught the spear and destroyed it using ki.

"So sorry you had to die after only just returning to this town. Well, have fun in the afterlife, filthy devil," said Raynare, grinning at me evilly. She flew off and, once far enough away, I released my illusionary space.

"*sigh* I hope Rias didn't sense anything. It would be bad for her to try and start something with the Fallen Angels before Asia gets here," I said to myself. Well…no use worrying about it right now. I should get back before they get impatient.

I opened a magic circle and walked through it, ending up in front of the door to the clubroom. I opened the door to find everyone there, Yumi and Valerie looking happily as I entered.

"Issei," began Yumi.

"Ise-sama," began Valerie.

"Welcome back," said both in unison.

"Hey, I'm back," I said before lifting the bags of things Rias had me get. "Where do you want them, Buchou?"

"You can just put them on the desk here. Akeno can organize it afterward," said Rias, calmly, as she looked over some papers. She put them down and then looked up at me. "Now, Issei, you know about what we, devils, do, don't you?"

"Eh? Ah, yeah. Devils make contracts with people in return for fulfilling their desires, right? There's limits, though, on what certain types of devils do, though," I said, just reciting what I remembered. I didn't exactly make a contract with anyone aside from maybe Mil-tan and Azazel-sensei, though that one was voided because he's not a human.

"Yes. Since you're new, though, you'll have to start out with the lesser requests for now. There were a few people making simple requests that you can fulfill. The magic circle we have in the other room is attuned to take you to one of them so you should go and deal with that. You should try to get as many contracts as you can so that you can make me proud, alright?" said Rias, smiling at me with her usual smile.

"Yes, Buchou!" I said, grinning. Ah~, it's been so long since I've seen Rias smile at me like that.

"Akeno, go ahead and show him to the circle. You made sure to adjust it, though, so his draconic powers to interfere, though, right?" asked Buchou, looking over at Akeno.

"Of course, Buchou. I wouldn't want my Ise to embarrass himself and have to ride his bike to those people's houses," said Akeno, giggling. I felt a jab at me with her words.

"Alright then. Good luck, Issei," said Buchou, giving me another smile before going back to her paperwork.

I nodded and walked with Akeno upstairs, ready to go and make my first contract as a devil. Well, in this timeline at least.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **So yeah, Raynare. I can feel the preemptive hatred from where I sit xD**_

 _ **Well, anyways, so my present conundrum is I'm trying to figure out how exactly Issei would react to Raynare. He obviously hates her but, if not for her, he may not have met Asia and become a part of Rias' peerage. It's one of those moments where you hate someone but you're thankful at the same time. Kinda awkward.**_

 _ **So, I have an idea of how I am going to play it out, and I for sure am not going to play it out like Gunmare did. Too violent for lovable Ise. I'm also going to give a bit of spoilers in saying, she gonna die, son. I know there might be a few of you out there who might want her in the harem but I don't like her and I want her to die as Ishibumi-sensei had made it originally.**_

 ** _Well, anyways, let me know your guys thoughts and until next time...byeee :D_**

 ** _Oh, next chapter should be out before the end of March!_**


	27. Volume 3 Life 3

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So I'm a bit later than I planned because I was just reviewing some info about things for the series. Now that I'm in the canon stuff, I have to review a lot of the episodes and wiki to make sure I don't do something wrong.**_

 _ **If you notice anything wrong in this chapter or the future, please feel free to let me know!**_

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.3**

It's been two days now since Raynare attacked me. Since then I've been avoiding meeting any of her friends on the streets at night. It's helpful that I can teleport instead of having to take my bike out but it's already time. Tomorrow is when Asia will arrive so I need to prepare to show myself. I also need to seriously plan things out. If I can, I want to avoid letting them do anything to Asia but I also have to be careful that I don't make any mistakes that might mess up future events.

Killing Freed is definitely a no since he needs to go back and bring out Kokabiel, otherwise sensei will be stuck with him...Everyone else, though. Sensei already gave me the green light. He said since they're all traitors, that it's okay to get rid of them. I almost feel bad since the other three aren't who my hatred is directed at…Maybe Buchou will end up taking care of them first like last time.

"Issei," said a voice, breaking me from my thoughts. I looked up and focused on the one who spoke. Rias was sitting at her desk, glaring over at me. "Issei, were you listening?"

"Eh? Ah…no, sorry Buchou," I said, rubbing the back of my head. I hadn't even realized Rias had started talking.

"*sigh* I don't know what you were thinking about but this is important. Although I know you're strong enough, there are several Fallen Angels wandering around my territory. I don't know what they're doing, but you need to avoid a fight if at all possible. Fighting would end up causing problems if the higher ups find out about it so make sure you lay low in the evening or night. I mean it especially for you. You're strong enough to blow these guys away and I'd rather keep that a secret until necessary," said Rias, seriously.

"Yes, Buchou. I promise to avoid any fights that I can help. I also know some illusionary magic so I might be able to fake my death or something if necessary," I said, knowing that I've already done it.

"Good, do that. Now, what was it my precious servant was so entranced by that he completely ignored his master?" asked Rias, a sly smile on her face.

"Ufufu, Ise's in trouble now," said Akeno, finding my situation funny for some reason.

"Ah, um. Nothing! I was just distracted by some thoughts," I said, trying not to be suspicious.

"Was senpai thinking lewd things again?" said Koneko-chan, glaring at me.

"Ara, was Issei distracted by us girls so much?" asked Rias, smiling at me teasingly. I sighed, blushing in embarrassment that I was thought of so badly, and Akeno and Rias burst out in a fit of giggles. "Well, now that that warning is out, go ahead and deal with your requests. All of you. No slacking off, alright?"

"Yes, Buchou!" said everyone aside from Rias.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Uwaahh!" I heard a young girl's cry as I was walking around where I first met Asia, early in the morning. "Mouuu~! Why do I trip over nothing?"

I spun around and turned the corner to find a blonde nun sitting awkwardly on the floor and rubbing one of her knees, soothingly. She glanced up at me as I walked towards her, myself trying to hold back just picking her up and hugging her.

"H-Hi, are you alright?" I said, extending a hand out to her.

"Ah! Yes, thank you," she replied, grabbing onto my hand before I hoisted her up. She began brushing off the dirt from her skirt and smiled up at me. "I'm just a little bit clumsy. Thank you for the help."

"No problem," I said before segwaying into the next topic I knew she was going to bring up. "So, your outfit is unique around here. Are you new here?"

"Yes! I was trying to get to the local church. I'm…a bit lost. Would it be okay to ask for directions from you?" asked Asia. She looked so cute the way she looked up at me, awkwardly, from under her veil.

"Of course. Though the only church around here looks kind of abandoned, leave it to me, umm…?" I said, playing dumb.

"Ah, yes! My name is Asia Argento. Pleased to meet you," said Asia before giving a short bow.

"Mine is Hyoudou Issei. Please call me, Ise," I said, smiling.

"Nice to meet you, Ise-san," said Asia, smiling happily at me.

Not hugging her is harder than I thought…

* * *

After bringing Asia near the church, I _reluctantly_ let her go towards it, thinking about how I was going to prevent that terrible situation.

I went to classes as per usual and went to the clubroom soon after. I must have looked bothered because Rias asked me about it almost immediately.

"Issei, are you alright?" asked Rias, a worried look in her eyes.

"Ah, well…I…have a friend who is a part of one of the other factions. She's…fragile…and innocent. I met her today again and I'm worried for her," I said, trying to hold back as much information as possible.

"Be careful, Issei. Even if you are friends, others might try to use her to get to you. Try to avoid seeing her where you'd be visible to the enemy," said Rias, sternly.

"Yes Buchou…" I said, drifting off again. Rias' sigh brought her back into my attention and I glanced at her.

"You sound like you have something else to say. If it's about offering her protection, you know I can't say yes. Unless it's for our own greed, devils won't put themselves at great risk," said Rias, her eyes not leaving mine.

"What if she was…?" I said, causing Rias to cock a brow at me in interest. "Well…she has a Sacred Gear. It can heal anything alive. Humans, angels, animals…devils. That would be useful, right? Especially with how limited Phoenix Tears are."

"That would be…still, I want to weigh some options and I need to think about some things. If the other faction is the Fallen Angels that have been lurking around, and I assume they are considering your expression, then it may cause problems with the Fallen Angels. Especially for their Sacred Gear obsessed leader. I won't say no, but I won't say yes, either. Give me some time to think about it," said Rias, seriously. I smiled at her and nodded, receiving a smile in return.

"Ufufu, Buchou is so merciful to her servants," said Akeno as she poked in.

"Oh! Akeno, when did you get here?" asked Rias, sounding a bit embarrassed to be heard.

"Just a moment ago. I just finished receiving a report that a Stray has been discovered nearby," said Akeno, sounding a bit serious.

Ah, yeah. I remember that creepy bishoujo. She had such good oppai but everything else was crazy.

"Hm…this might be a good chance to see Issei in real combat. Issei, would you want to try it out?" asked Rias, curious.

"I wouldn't mind. I do want to ask that, in return, you please think about my request seriously," I said before giving a short bow. Rias smiled at me and leaned her head against her arm.

"Ara, you're already becoming greedy like a devil. Alright, I don't mind," said Rias, calmly. "Akeno, you and Yuuto will only be necessary. Tell Koneko to relax. And Yumi and Valerie are…?"

"I told them it was alright for them to go home first. They said they planned to train," I said, simply. Rias smiled again and nodded at me before getting up.

"Yuuto will meet us there. Let's get a head start," said Rias as she brushed her hair back.

Let's show her just a bit of what I can do.

* * *

 _Kiba's POV_

I, Kiba Yuuto, was called by Akeno-fukubuchou to help her protect Buchou while they, along with my new junior, Ise-kun, were to deal with a Stray Devil. We just arrived at the warehouse where the enemy was when Buchou stopped.

"Yuuto, now that you're here, I can tell you. This I going to be a test for Issei so your only job is to protect your king. Also, pay close attention to how he fights. If you see something that may be useful to you, you should try to make it your own to improve yourself," said Buchou.

"Yes, Buchou! I will closely observe him," I said.

"Ah, I wasn't planning to use swordsmanship, though. I don't know how much he could pick up from hand-to-hand only," said Ise-kun.

"There are many parts of hand-to-hand combat that can be utilized even in sword fighting. Don't worry, Ise-kun, and just fight as you please," I said, encouragingly. He nodded in response and we continued to the front of the warehouse before entering. Inside, it was dank and there was a faint smell of blood. I created a demonic sword and held it in a stance, looking for the enemy.

"I smell something foul…and something sweet…" said a foul-sounding voice. A strange looking devil came out from behind a pillar in front of us and she grinned, evilly. "Are you sweet? Or bitter?"

"Stray Devil, Viser," began Buchou, glaring over at the devil. "You've abandoned your master and run amok here in the human world in _my_ town. We're here to eliminate you in the name of the Gremory nobility. Prepare yourself."

"Oh what disgusting brats you are. I'll kill you all and feast on your corpses. AHAHAHAHA," said Viser in a crazed voice. I could feel her building up some demonic power but, before I could anticipate what was to happen, Ise-kun walked out.

"*sigh* She's weaker than I thought. This won't last long," said Ise-kun, sounding extremely bored. I was a bit surprised by this because, although she was fairly weak, she was not enough such that one of us could take her on alone, easily. "Buchou, since I'm a dragon, what kind of magic do you think I specialize in?"

"Fire would be my first guess," said Buchou, simply.

"Yup. Then, after learning how to use the generic ki found in nature, what do you think I did afterward?" said Ise-kun, causing Buchou to react with surprise. "Fire-elemental ki."

After Ise-kun said those words, a thick layer of ki burst out from his body. It was different than the normal white ki that I had seen before. It had an orange tinge to it and its shape mimicked flames, especially atop his hair.

"You shitty kid think you can beat me on your own? I'll kill you!" screeched Viser before grabbing her breasts. Magic circles appeared on her breasts and she squeezed them, releasing some glowing liquid at Ise-kun.

Ise-kun swatted that liquid away, the liquid hitting, and melting, the wall that it hit. I was amazed that Ise-kun could be hit with something like that and still be fine. He walked, slowly, over to Viser who continued her shots before switching to trying to hit him with her enormous arms. She swung an arm down and Ise-kun suddenly disappeared before reappearing in front of Viser's mid-section. He threw out a fierce punch at the air in front of him.

"FIRE PILLAR!" shouted Ise-kun as a pillar of fire blasted away from his fist, growing as it got closer to Viser before completely swallowing her up in flames. Her screams and cries echoed in the room until the never-ending flames burnt her to ash. Ise-kun released his ki as he landed and blew air at his slightly smoking fist.

"Ufufu, isn't his strength just amazing, Rias?" said Akeno-fukubuchou from off to the side.

"Quite. I didn't expect such a simple attack to have been as effective as my power of destruction. It wasn't even a fight," said Buchou, shocked.

Wasn't even a fight? You can't even tell Ise-kun did anything at all. The flames have vanished, the ash hardly noticeable. Honestly, this junior of mine is incredible.

"Oi, Kiba. You can close your mouth now," said Ise-kun as he walked toward us. I did as he said, a bit embarrassed, but grinned at him.

"That was quite impressive," I said, simply.

"You've got to work hard, Kiba, or else how are we going to protect Buchou, properly. Work hard, comrade," said Ise-kun, grinning at me. I was a bit surprised by his words but I grinned back before nodding. For some reason, his words fill me with a drive to work harder. I'll just have to increase my training regimen.

"I'm looking forward to whatever other surprises you have in store for us, Issei. Honestly, Maou-sama is going to have fun talking to you," said Buchou, smiling.

"I think we're done here, right Rias?" asked Akeno-fukubuchou.

"Mm, we're finished here. I'll report that we took her down. You all can go ahead and deal with any requests you have before going to rest," said Buchou, calmly.

We all nodded in response before dispersing, I going over to the usual location for my requests.

* * *

The next day was quite a normal day, ending off with requests. I was presently in the clubroom with Buchou because I had yet to be requested. Buchou was looking through some papers and I was watching, diligently, thinking about the next time I can reminisce with Rut- err…Yumi about the past.

I was a bit surprised when Buchou suddenly slammed her hands on her desk and jumped to her feet.

"Buchou…?!" I said, startled.

"What is he _doing?!_ I know he went to the job that Koneko was originally going to do since she was double booked but why is he _there?_ " said Buchou, panicking a bit. She glanced at me, realizing my worry, and sighed. "Sorry, Yuuto. Issei is, well, I suddenly felt a negative reaction from his pieces, meaning he's entered either a holy place or an _exorcist's station_."

"If he went to one of Koneko's, does that mean that they called an exorcist?" I asked, worried.

"No, if there are Fallen Angels active in this town then they may very well have a Rogue Exorcist with them. We'll have to go quickly. Even if Issei is strong, he doesn't seem to know much about exorcisms or how they work. If he isn't careful, he could die," said Buchou, seriously.

I put on a serious expression at her words and manifested a demonic sword.

"We should go immediately then. Between the three of us, we should be able to deal with any Rogue Exorcist," I said, seriously. Buchou nodded and we ran over to the warp magic circle. She used her demonic power to adjust it for that house and we teleported.

* * *

As soon as we exited the magic circle, we found ourselves inside the house Issei was supposed to be at. It was disgusting.

Charred remains of two people were off in the corner and there was blood splattered everywhere. I looked in horror before glaring over at the only stranger standing up in the room.

"Ahahaha!" screeched an irritating laugh. "Look, look, more shitty devils. Hello, hello there! I guess I should introduce myself. Freed Cerose is my name. You won't remember it long, though, you shit-for-brains devils! Ahahahaha!"

"Issei, what happened?" asked Buchou, not taking her glare away from this Freed person.

"When I got here, there was a barrier. I thought something was happening and, when I came inside, things were like this. The girl over there on the floor was supposed to be holding up some kind of barrier but she apparently let it go to see what was going on. I've been fighting this guy for a bit now," explained Ise-kun, trying to catch us up.

"You see, you see! If you had just done your fuck _ing_ job, then these shitty devils wouldn't be here," said Freed, angrily, before kicking the nun on the floor.

"S-Sorry…" moaned the girl in pain.

"'Sorry'? Instead of saying that shit, why don't you do your _job_. What useless company you are you stupid girl," said Freed before kicking the nun again and again. The girl merely shielded her head and cried out 'sorry's, Buchou and I watching with pity.

"Oi, oi," said Ise-kun in a surprisingly angry voice. I glanced at him to see him releasing a bright red aura, different from the fiery ki he released the night before. "What in hell do you think you're doing there, huh? Are you kicking such in a fragile pure girl just 'cause you like it?"

"Eh~~? I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong, shitty devil. Who cares what she is? I _hate_ weak, useless people so what's the problem if I rough them up, huh? And what are you going to do about it? You've barely been even with me this whole time. What the hell are you gonna do, huh, huh?" said Freed before giving the nun another hard kick.

Before anything could happen, though, a portal appeared in the roof of the house and Buchou and I immediately knew what it was.

"Fallen Angel," we said in sync.

"Issei, we need to go," said Buchou, trying to appease him from his anger.

"One second. I'm going to break his leg," said Ise-kun, angrily. "The leg you kicked her with. I'm going to snap it in half."

"Ooo~~! So scary! You think I'm going to let you even get close enough to do tha-," said Freed before Ise-kun suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of him. My eyes widened at that speed and, before we even realized what had happened, Ise-kun grabbed Freed's left leg. "Oh, fuck me!"

The deafening crack we heard churned our stomachs but we didn't have time for that. Freed was on the floor, screeching in pain, and Ise-kun leapt back to us.

"We can go now," said Ise-kun, calmly.

"You don't want to try and escape with her?" I asked. He couldn't take her through the warp, but Ise-kun was more than fast enough to run away with her.

"Not yet. Tomorrow night. I want all of them to be gathered in one place so we can get them out of our town. Sound like a good plan, Buchou?" asked Ise-kun.

Buchou didn't respond before we suddenly warped.

* * *

We reappeared in the clubroom and Buchou sighed, deeply, before slowly walking to her desk. It wasn't a minute afterward that Akeno and then Koneko appeared on the magic circle. The two, looking confused by the awkward tension in the room.

"Arara, did we miss something?" asked Akeno, sounding concerned.

"Ise-kun had a run in with a Rogue Exorcist named Freed. We escaped just before the Fallen Angels came," I explained, simply.

"Ah, so it was that then," said Akeno, now deep in thought.

"Something you'd like to share Akeno. You as well, please," said Buchou, glaring over at Ise-kun.

"The Fallen Angels here in Kuoh are traitors and I was told there wouldn't be any problems if we _dealt_ with them," said Ise-kun, calmly.

"And how exactly do you- Wait…are you in contact with the Grigori?" asked Buchou, surprising me.

"It's not that surprising. I was good friends with Akeno and Baraqiel when we were little. I've kept in touch with a couple Fallen Angels in the Grigori. They told me that Azazel is pissed because he told the Fallen Angels not to try anything. Clearly they haven't listened, though," explained Ise-kun.

"How do you know they aren't lying to you?" I said, calmly.

"Because we have no reason to lie to each other. Think about it, what could they have to gain by lying? Most Fallen Angels in the Grigori are against fighting because they're researchers," said Ise-kun in response.

"True…From now on, don't keep me in the dark about these things. _Neither_ of you," said Buchou, glaring at Akeno-fukubuchou. "I don't like my precious servants keeping secrets, especially about such important things."

"Sorry, Buchou. I asked Akeno to not say anything until it became relevant. It's my fault," said Ise-kun, bowing his head. Buchou sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking off to the side.

"Was that girl the one you told me about?" asked Buchou, confusing me. Did Ise-kun know that girl? He seemed to be familiar with her considering his reaction to her being beaten.

"Yes. You can see why I wanted to help her," said Ise-kun, seriously.

"I can. Don't even think about doing anything on your own. You said they were supposedly going to meet up tomorrow night, right? We can deal with that then. Until then, stay out of trouble. I mean it, Issei," said Buchou, sternly.

"Yes, Buchou. Sorry again," said Ise-kun, apologetically. Buchou nodded and waved him off, saying he could go home after that, Koneko also leaving with him. They seem closer than they would normally been…I wonder what happened.

"Buchou, don't you think you were a bit harsh?" asked Akeno-fukubuchou.

"I believe Buchou needed to be that way considering how headstrong Ise-kun is," I said.

"He is, but it's also because I worry. No matter how strong he is, I haven't enough faith in the strength he doesn't tell me about. All I can do is worry for my precious servants," said Buchou, frowning. "That's it for tonight, though. Get some rest you two. It seems we'll have some things to take care of tomorrow night aside from requests."

Ise-kun seems to have caused Buchou a lot of stress. Hopefully it isn't for nothing…

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **So, sorry for the cuts but I didn't think you guys would want me to go over EVERY single detail of what happened at the beginning (Mil-tan, Ise's encounters with those Fallen Angels from Raynare's group that nobody remembers).**_

 _ **I also thought it would be a good idea to do the house scene from Kiba's perspective since we already know what Ise sees and thinks from the canon story. Let me know if you guys liked it and I might do more stuff like that in the future.**_

 _ **I'm hoping to get the next chapter out before the 20th but don't hold me to it. My professor's are assigning a lot of late projects and assignments since it's almost the end of the semester and I'm going to have finals from the 20-something to the last week of April.**_

 _ **Look forward to it when it does come out and until next time...byeee :D**_


	28. Volume 3 Life 4

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So, I know I'm later than I said. Kinda got hit with that post-finals breakdown xD**_

 _ **Anyways, here's the latest, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.4**

 _Issei POV_

It was the next day already and school was over. I told Rias that I needed to meet Asia once more before the situation tonight and she reluctantly let me go back out.

I went to the park where I met her again after our first meeting and it was only a few minutes before I heard her voice.

"Ise-san?" called Asia from behind me. I turned and found her there, her expression a mixture of confusion, worry, and happiness.

"Asia..." I said before slowly walking towards her. "Are you alright?"

"Eh? Ah, yes…I am. Ise-san…I didn't know Ise-san was a devil," said Asia, looking away.

"I…I wasn't trying to deceive you or anything. I'm not like that," I said, wondering how I could even begin to make her recover her memories.

"Ise-san…got mad for my sake, last night, right?" asked Asia, peering up at me from under her bangs.

"…Yes…I'm sorry if I looked scary at that moment," I said.

"I-It's alright…Freed-sama didn't hit me again after that since he was annoyed by what you did," said Asia.

We stood there for a moment in silence and I smiled a bit.

"Hey, Asia," I began before taking one of her hands. "You're free right now, right? Why don't we go and do something? It's your first time in Japan so why don't we go and have fun…just for a bit?"

Asia looked at me confused and I begged her with pleading eyes. She smiled after a moment and nodded.

"I would like that, Ise-san," said Asia, happily. The moment the words were out of her mouth, I began dragging Asia along, her squeak in surprise making me laugh a bit.

Let's relive that day now, Asia!

* * *

It was nearly sunset now and Asia and I were in a different park with a big fountain. We had done everything we did the first time: get burgers, go to the arcade, take pictures; I even got her that Ratchu toy again. She was clinging to it with a happy expression on her face that made my chest well up. I can't wait until she remembers, if she remembers.

"Ise-san, I had a lot of fun today," said Asia, happily, though sounding more like she was saying it to herself.

"I did too, Asia. It's like we're already good friends," I said, grinning at her. She looked up at me, surprised at my words.

"F-Friends? Us?" asked Asia, hopefully. Ahhh~, I remember how lonely Asia used to be! I'm sorry for making you go through all this again my sweet Asia!

"Of course! We spent most of the day playing and having fun. That's what friends do so that must mean we're friends, right?" I said, smiling at her.

"A-Ah…friends…Ise-san is my friend," said Asia, her eyes shining a bit with tears. I reached out and gripped one of her hands and she looked up at me. I stared into her eyes with a serious expression.

"Asia, I promise, I'm going to protect you. As your friend and someone who cares about you, I won't let you be lonely anymore. I'll save you, Asia," I said, seriously.

Tears poured from Asia's eyes at my words and she covered her mouth with her free hand, leaving Ratchu on her lap.

"Ishe-shan," said Asia, choking on her tears a bit.

Suddenly, I felt a pulse between us and we both flinched simultaneously.

Agh~, my head. Wait, my head…? Asia!

"I-Ise-san, what…?" said Asia, the look in her eyes changed.

"Asia!" I said, choking back my emotions as I threw myself at her in a hug.

"Eh? Eh? Ise-san? W-What's going on?" asked Asia, confused.

"Asia, Asia…I'm sorry that I made you relive being all alone again. It's alright now, though," I said, trying to calm down.

"Ise-san, it's okay…but, what's happening?" asked Asia, still very confused.

"Asia, with Ophis' help I had to travel back to the past. I can't explain much right now, but Raynare is going to appear in a minute. You'll have to go with her just like before but I'll save you, okay? I won't let you die like last time," I said, rushing a bit since Raynare could appear at any moment.

Asia looked at me, this time with a worried expression, but it relaxed into a trusting one.

"Alright, Ise-san. I'll be waiting for you, okay?" said Asia, happily.

I smiled at her but it wasn't another moment before I felt that hateful presence. I turned to find Raynare flying down over the fountain, just grazing the surface before she stopped.

"Arara, what's this? Asia, are you fraternizing with a devil? And not only that, but one that I thought I killed…your master seems to be good at saving you from death," said Raynare, sounding annoyed. "Asia, you can't run away from me."

"Eh…? Ah! No! I refuse to be with you people who are so evil!" shouted Asia, her 'Eh' because she had to remember exactly what she said before.

"You don't have a choice, otherwise I'll kill that devil that you're apparently friends with," said Raynare as she began forming a light spear.

"Do you really want to try doing that? You said it yourself, my master is apparently good at healing me," I said, mocking her. She doesn't know about my illusion ability and I'd like to keep it that way for now.

"You, scum, silence. You're soiling my ears with your voice. Well, Asia? What will it be?" said Raynare, ignoring me. I gave a quick glance to Asia, who returned it, and nodded.

"Please don't hurt him and I'll do as you say," said Asia, calmly. She walked towards Raynare, who made her light spear disappear. Raynare floated towards her, a smile on her face.

"Good girl," she said as she wrapped her filthy wings around Asia. "You're lucky, boy. You get to live a little longer thanks to this girl. Live your time well."

And with those words, they were gone, and I, now alone, let some of my angry aura leak out. My red aura polluted the air around me and I was gripping my fist so hard, I thought my knuckles would burst through my skin.

"Asia, I'm protecting you this time. And I'm getting rid of Raynare myself," I said, angrily.

* * *

"So they took her?" asked Rias, surprised.

I was back at the clubroom now and was preparing with Rias and the others for tonight.

"Yes. They're planning to perform some kind of ritual that will kill her and remove her Sacred Gear. I'm going to save her before that happens," I said, calmly.

"Buchou, I've looked around the church as you asked," said Akeno who was just walking in.

"What did you find, Akeno?" asked Rias, seriously.

"They seem to have quite a few rogue exorcists aside from the one we met last night. I'd estimate around ten. Otherwise, there only seem to be four Fallen Angels in total and three have spent most of their time outside. I assume they are guarding the area," explained Akeno.

"I see…" said Rias, beginning to think.

"The strongest Fallen Angel of the group has to be the one I'm after and she's weaker than Akeno. You both could wipe out the three outside while I deal with everyone else inside," I said, seriously.

"That's not very surprising. Rogues in any faction tend to be the weaker, idiots of the bunch. I don't know about leaving you with so many exorcists by yourself, though. With them, it's not just about strength. Some rituals have been developed to deal with higher level devils which is why you'd need to be careful and knowledgeable about them. Kiba and Koneko are, so you should have them accompany you. They can warn you if something goes wrong," ordered Rias before going back to her thoughts.

"Alright…and Buchou, are you going to end up making her one of your servants?" I asked, hopefully.

"Her Sacred Gear, you said it's a healing type so I'd like to guess it's one of those Twilight Healing, correct?" said Rias, pausing for my response, which was a nod, and then continuing. "Then I wouldn't mind it. Having the ability to heal, even if just a bit, without the use of Phoenix Tears is an advantage in Rating Games. I'd like to see it in person, first, though."

"That's fine. She'd be happy to show you," I said, relieved. I thought Rias might be a little more reluctant since I asked her to do it, but I guess she's the same as before. "We should leave now, though. The ritual should start in less than an hour and it's apparently a short one."

"Akeno and I will head out first via teleportation. You three go ahead on foot," said Rias before walking towards the door with Akeno. Akeno winked at me and I smiled before turning to Kiba and Koneko-chan.

"You both ready?" I asked, grinning.

"Yes!"

"Mm" said Kiba and Koneko-chan, respectively.

"Then, we're off!" I shouted before turning for the door.

We're coming, Asia!

* * *

We arrived at the abandoned church and I took a breath before glancing at Koneko-chan and Kiba. Both nodded to me, showing they were ready, and I turned back to the doors of the church. I pushed them open and we walked into the seemingly empty church.

"I would guess that everyone is downstairs," said Kiba, on alert with one of his demonic swords ready.

"This place is falling apart," I said under my breath. I glanced over to where I felt someone's presence and directed my killing intent over there.

"Hey, hey, hey," said someone as they began walking out. It was Freed, who was glaring at us. "What a reunion so soon! I'm moved that shithead over here wanted to see me again so soon!"

"Freed," I growled, remembering what he did to Asia. Considering his leg is fixed, they must have forced Asia to heal him.

"I never thought a devil could escape me alive, let alone break my leg like that. And I'm freaking strong, too. I must have gone soft on you, you shithead devil," said Freed before pulling out his light sword and gun. "That fucking pisses me off, so I'm going to kill you now for freaking breaking my leg, you stupid prick!"

"Ise-kun, Koneko and I will handle this one. Go downstairs and save your friend. The priests shouldn't be expecting you so just make sure you either stay away from them or take them out quickly. We'll be down in a moment, try to last that long without getting exorcised," said Kiba, grinning at me.

"Got it," I said before running towards the back wall to the secret stairs.

"You think I'm fucking letting you go anywhere?!" shouted Freed, angrily, as he leapt towards me. I ignored him and Kiba was in front of me a moment later, grinning at Freed.

"I won't let you interfere," said Kiba after blocking Freed's light sword with his own demonic sword.

"Ehh~?! What the fuck do you think you're going to do, shithead?" said Freed, annoyed, before noticing something was wrong. His light sword was flickering unnaturally and he looked between it and Kiba. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Holy Eraser. My sword eats light and makes itself stronger. You're no match for me," said Kiba, confidently.

"Oh, reall- OOF!" said Freed, his words being cut off after being hit by a flying pew, courtesy of Koneko-chan.

"Strike," said Koneko-chan, almost making me laugh. Koneko-chan! That's not something you say after throwing a pew at someone~!

"Go," said Kiba, his back to me.

"Good luck," I said, running to where the secret stairs were. I kicked the cabinet that was on top of it out of the way, revealing the stairs, and ran down.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a large, torch-lit room. Near the back, were ten, maybe more, priests that surrounded an altar where Asia was hanging from a cross, Raynare standing next to her.

"Oh? You got here much sooner than expected. The ritual isn't quite done yet, so stay there or I'll kill you," said Raynare, who had turned to give me a dark grin.

"Ise-san!" shouted Asia, looking relieved to see me.

"Asia," I said as I took a step forward. Before I could go forward, though, a light spear was thrown at me and, when it blew up the ground in front of me, it created a small cloud of smoke.

"Didn't I tell you to wait there? Priests, finish the chants before that boy and his companions interfere," said Raynare, annoyed.

"Asia," I said, again, though this time, I wasn't stopping. Before Raynare even had a chance to form a light spear, I had leapt to the top of the altar, just below Asia, shocking Raynare. I coated my hand in ki and sliced up the chains that held Asia to the cross, catching her as she fell to me. "I promised I'd save you."

"Yes, Ise-san," said Asia as she snuggled into my chest. I shifted her weight in my arms to free my right hand and turned a glaring eye to Raynare. She looked shocked but the shock then turned to fury.

"You…You ruined it! Do you know how long it takes to set up a ritual like this! My Twilight Healing. _My_ special power that would have pleased Azazel-sama!" shouted Raynare, her anger towards me obvious.

"Azazel told me to let you know that, for betraying his orders and trying to kill me, you are banned from returning," I said, calmly. Her eyes went blank for a moment and it took her a moment to collect her thoughts. While she did that, I began walking down the steps of the altar and through the crowd of priests who were too shocked by what I had just done to even react. "I don't want to hurt any of you, stay out of my way."

"…Wait, wait! What are you all doing?! Even if the ritual today is over, we still have next time! Get that girl back!" shouted Raynare. I guess she collected herself.

"R-Raahh! Die devil!" shouted some of the priests who jumped to attack me while others began to chant spells.

With a wave of my hand I blew away all the priests who were directing trying to attack me and they slammed into the walls of the room, now unconscious. The rest froze in place and I continued walking to the back of the room before placing Asia seated on the ground.

"Ise-san, don't kill the priests," said Asia, sweetly. She looked exhausted. I wonder what kind of torturous preparations did they have to perform before the ritual.

"They're not the ones I'm going to kill, Asia, don't worry," I said, trying to keep back my anger. I wasn't lying. Everything was Raynare's fault.

"Ise-san, I love you," said Asia, smiling at me.

"I love you, too, Asia. I won't do anything bad. I just want to deal with Raynare myself," I said, smiling at her.

Asia's sweetness always calms me down.

"Agh, you priests are so weak! I'll kill him myself!" shouted Raynare before flying up and forming a light spear. I glared at her, causing her to hesitate.

"I have no interest in killing any of you priests, but I can't let you interfere," I announced before building up a glowing white ki in my hands. "Sleep."

A wave of ki blew out from my hands and soon after, many of the priests began to pass out and collapse. The few that remained were on the ground, clutching their head in pain. This was a trick that Yasaka-san taught me for dealing with large groups of weaker opponents. I impose a concentration of my ki on them and it overpowers them and knocks them out. I guess some of the priests had stronger wills than the others.

"Grr…I'll kill you!" shouted Raynare before throwing a light spear at me. I caught it with my ki coated hand and stared her dead in the face, the fear in her eyes making me a little smug. I threw the light spear at that accursed cross that Raynare used for the ritual and it shattered into small pieces.

"Raynare, know despair as you see just how much I outrank you," I said, annoyed. "Boosted Gear! And now, Balance Breaker!"

"W-What?! No, it can't be! The Red Dragon! I need to get out of here. I won't surviv-," said Raynare before I cut her off.

"You're not going anywhere," I said before flying up in front of her. She flinched and tried to fly back but I grabbed her head and threw her down into the ground, a small crater forming where she landed.

"Guh! Agh," Raynare groaned as she pulled her bloody face from the ground and whined. "Please, please don't kill me! I'll do whatever you want, just please!"

"You've done terrible things to Asia and I, things you don't even remember. I hate you. Goodbye, Raynare," I said, angrily. I released a ball of intense fiery ki from my hand, boosted of course, and it blew into the crater where Raynare laid.

"GUAHHHH!" echoed Raynare's voice as she disappeared into nothingness, only some of her feather left behind.

I just stood there and stared at the seared crater where Raynare had been, my armor gone. The priests were beginning to wake up now but they weren't doing anything out of fear.

"Ise-kun!" shouted a voice behind me. I turned to find Kiba and Koneko-chan coming down the final steps of the stairs and stopping behind me. "What happened?"

"I knocked out the priests and saved my friend. I also killed the Fallen Angel that was here," I said, calmly.

Koneko-chan looked at me with a worried expression and I could only smile at her in reassurance. I had such a big weight lifted off my shoulders by killing Raynare. Finally getting the revenge I never got to take because I was too weak at the time.

"We also defeated Freed, but he escaped at the last moment. Buchou just contacted me and said that she and Akeno have finished with the others. We're going to meet back up at the clubroom," explained Kiba, receiving a nod from me. I walked over to Asia and patted her cheek.

"Asia, it's over. We're going now," I said, soothingly.

"Mmm, Ise-san, I'm sleepy," said Asia, cutely. I picked her up in my arms, smiling, before we formed a magic circle to teleport back to the clubroom.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I had to rewatch the episodes from this part so many times to get the story right xD**_

 _ **I'm trying to keep events and progression as canon as I can while also changing it to match this story. I hope no one was too OOC. Please let me know anything you guys felt was weird or awkward (aside from wanting me to keep Raynare alive) so that I can improve on it later.**_

 _ **Thanks for the continued support and until next time...byeee :D**_


	29. Volume 3 Life 5

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So, before you read this chapter, it seems there was an issue with when I posted the previous chapter and it didn't send out the notification, nor did it update the Last Updated part of the story description. Make sure you go back and read it before you read this chapter. It should say Life.4 at the top if you're reading the right one.**_

 _ **Anyways, this chapter is a little short because the next part of the story is the Raiser arc and I didn't want to cut into it.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.5**

 _Rias POV_

Akeno and I had arrived at the clubroom just after dealing with the Fallen Angels and contacting Yuuto. He said he would meet us here, though it may take a bit since he wasn't sure if that girl could come with them through the magic circle.

"Ufufu," said Akeno, covering her mouth.

"Still enjoying it, Akeno?" I asked, smiling.

"Of course, _Buchou._ You know how much I love to watch the fear in my enemy's eyes. Their struggling was cute," said Akeno, smiling, brightly, at the thought.

Before we could continue, a bright light shined in the room and bright red magic circle appeared, Ise and the others coming through it. The magic circle didn't have the Gremory mark that it would normally have to enter this place. He must have used his own.

"We're back, Buchou," said Issei, carrying the blonde girl from the other night. She was wearing nothing but a semi-transparent white camisole and looked to be asleep. Issei had a relieved expression on his face and he, Yuuto, and Koneko were free of any visible wounds. I was relieved for that, at least.

"Welcome back, Ise. I can see it went well," said Akeno, smiling.

"I can see the same for you," said Issei before laying the girl down on one of the sofas.

"What's wrong with her? She seems to be fine but she shouldn't be sleeping like that after just being saved," I said, curious.

"We're unsure if she underwent some kind of strenuous preparations. Ise-kun thinks they tortured beforehand so she was too weak to resist the ceremony. She passed out right after Koneko and I arrived," said Yuuto, calmly.

"Hm…I guess we'll have to wait until she wakes up. I was hoping we could make her a servant tonight," I said, dismayed.

"That won't be a problem," said Issei, closing his eyes as he moved his hands over the girl. I was about to ask what he was doing before a glowing white light came out of his hands. "I, in the past years, could never get better as a support-type. The most I can do is use my Sacred Gear to give boosts to others power and use ki to speed up the healing process and restore stamina. Right now, she's drained, so I'm going to use ki to restore her energy. She'll still need to rest, but at least she will be able to show you her Twilight Healing."

Another thing I didn't know about.

After a minute or so, the girl stirred in her sleep and then her eyes cracked open. Her eyes fluttered wide open and she looked around, probably confused, but also looking a little relieved. Maybe she was relieved to be with Issei?

"Ise-san, did I fall asleep?" asked the girl, sitting up, slowly.

"Just for a little. You were exhausted, but I restored a little bit of your stamina," said Issei before leaning in. He whispered something to her that I couldn't hear and she nodded before looking to me.

"U-Um…Hello! I am Asia Argento. Nice to meet you!" said the girl I now knew to be Asia.

"Hello there," I began, smiling at her with a welcoming smile. "My name is Rias Gremory, your friend Issei's master."

"Y-Yes, Ise-san has told me. You need to see my power before you can make me into your servant as, right?" said Asia, surprising me a bit.

"Asia, you do realize that you would be becoming a devil, right? You will not be able to go back and you won't be able to pray or communicate with God anymore," I explained.

"I-I know, but I want to be with Ise-san and Ise-san is with you. I never want to leave Ise-san's side," said Asia, smiling brightly at Issei.

So she feels that way about him…? I wonder how he feels…

I shook my head to chase away the thoughts.

"Well, alright. None of us have anything to heal, though," I began, wondering what to do. I don't want any of my servants to be hurt just to show off her powers.

"That's fine," said Issei before coating his right hand in ki. The ki looked jagged along the edges and he quickly swiped at his left hand, a hiss escaping through his teeth.

"Ise-san!"

"Issei!" Asia and I shouted in unison.

Honestly, this servant! Hurting himself like that!

"It's fine. Asia, this isn't much compared to what you've healed before," said Issei, smiling at her. She pouted at him and held her hands over his wounded hand. Her hands glowed in a green light and she closed her eyes.

I watched as the wound on Issei's hand slowly closed, the ends healing first and moving towards the center. After less than a minute, the wound was completely healed and he showed it off to me, grinning. I sighed at how idiotic that smile was but had to agree. Such an effective healing power would be a great asset to us.

"Alright, I'll take Asia under my wing," I said, defeated by my precious pawn. "Asia, come over here."

"Yes!" said Asia, getting up and walking over to me. She stood in front of me, adjusting her clothes, and smiled at me.

"Now then," I said, slamming my only other bishop piece on the desk. "You will be reincarnated using this bishop piece. Respond when I signal you to."

Asia nodded and I picked up the piece again.

"Asia Argento, I, Rias Gremory, will use my authority as [King] to reincarnate you into my [Bishop]. Do you accept this?" I said before gesturing to Asia. She responded with a simple 'Yes' and I continued. "Then, by the power granted to me, I will make you my demon slave. I grant you a new life as a devil, may you serve me well."

As I said that last line, I placed the bishop piece against her chest and it was absorbed into her, a glowing red light flashing before settling down. She sighed in relief and smiled at me.

"Thank you, Rias-buchou!" said Asia, happily. I smiled at her but couldn't help feeling that she was too formal.

"Asia, that sounds a bit too formal. Please just call me…onee-sama," I said, liking the way that sounded.

"Yes! Rias-onee-sama!" said Asia, even more happily than before.

I'm not sure why, but hearing her say that gave me a warm feeling in my heart. I wonder why?

"Could Asia stay here for tonight? Until we can figure out where she can stay?" asked Issei, smiling over at us.

"She can come to my and Akeno's apartment. I'll think of some things we could try and we can figure it out in the morning. Thank you Yuuto, Koneko, for your help. Rest well," I said, smiling over at my two servants.

Kiba and Koneko nodded before leaving, Issei giving Asia a quick hug before waving us goodbye and leaving himself. Afterward, Asia, Akeno, and I went back to our apartment and I went to sleep that night wondering what exactly to do about Asia.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Eh? My house?" said Issei, sounding less surprised about my suggestion than he should have. We were currently standing just a house down from Issei's, speaking over here so that his parents did catch wind of anything until we went over.

"Yes. You already have Yumi and Valerie living in a separate space in the area where the spare room is, right? Well, in reality, that room is empty and unused. I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind having a cute girl in the house," I said, smiling as I patted Asia on the head.

"That would work. My parents have mentioned in the past about wondering what it would have been like to have a daughter," said Issei, looking over at Asia. "I guess let's try it. Are you going to transport her things over after we set everything up?"

"Already done," I said as I started walking towards his home. He looked at me confused but I just smiled at him until we were in front of his house. There in front of his door were several boxes, all marked with the Gremory seal.

"You work fast," said Issei.

"Only the best for my cute servants," I said, winking at him. "Now, then, are you going to invite us in?"

"Ah, sorry!" said Issei, looking cute as he became a bit flustered. He went and opened the front gate and then the front door, holding it open for us as he gestured us inside. "Mom, Dad! We have visitors."

"We're over in the sitting room, Issei," said a woman's voice. I assume that is his mother.

We walked through the house, following Issei, and he led us into an open room. There was a man, his father I assumed, sitting on the sofa sipping some coffee and putting the newspaper he was reading down on the table. His mother was standing in front of what looked like the entrance to the kitchen and was wearing an apron.

When we came into view, Issei's parents looked at us in surprise.

"F-F-F-Father! Our Issei has brought home such pretty girls!" said his mother, shocked.

"M-M-Mother! They look like foreigners! Our son has brought home foreigners!" said his father, sounding equally as shocked.

"Hello Father, Mother," I said, bowing to them.

"H-Hello," said Asia, sounding nervous, as she copied my bow.

"Oi, didn't I bring home girls just the other day?" asked Issei, sounding annoyed. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Yes, but you practically grew up with Akeno-chan and that other girl looked so young," said Issei's father. "These two are bishoujo that a father can be proud of!"

"Dear…" said Issei's mother, threateningly. "Please do not speak in such a way in front of our guests."

Issei's father squeaked out a 'Yes' and promptly sipped some of his coffee in silence.

"Now, what brings you two here today?" said Issei's mother, smiling over at us.

"Well you see…" I began before telling them of the situation at hand. Of course, I worked in a bit of magic to making them a bit more interested in making Asia a part of their household.

"E-E-Ehhhh?!" shouted both Issei's parents at the same time.

"Y-You, Asia-san, you would want to live in this household?" said Issei's father.

"S-Surely there must be another house. I mean, you would be living under the same roof as our boy, Issei," said his mother.

"A-Ah, well, Ise-san has helped me a lot in the past so when I thought of a place to stay, I could only imagine being with Ise-san," said Asia, smiling. "Ah! But if it is too much then…"

"W-Well, we didn't say 'no', it's just…" began Issei's mother.

"Yes, it's just…even though our son has taken up an interest in martial arts, he's always had a high libido and he's quite the pervert. Would you be okay with living with someone like that?" said his father, almost making me giggle. His parents didn't know how to hold back.

"Oi, oi! Is that anyway to talk about your son, especially when he's right here?!" said Issei, sounding hurt. His parents just waved him off, waiting for Asia's response.

"That part of Ise-san doesn't really bother me, though…" said Asia, looking away, innocently. Maybe I should jump in.

"Well, why don't we include training on how to become a good Japanese wife?" I said, smiling.

"W-WIFE?!" shouted his parents in shock.

"D-Darling! I didn't think there was a girl alive who would think of marrying our perverted, muscle-head son!" said his father, practically in tears.

"I thought the same thing!" shouted his mother, also in tears. "Our son is unworthy of such a sweet, pretty girl!"

"Hey!" shouted Issei, annoyed.

"Father, Mother, Ise-san isn't unworthy. He's an amazing person," said Asia, sternly. Issei's parents were actually crying in happiness now and I had to suppress my desire to sigh. They reminded me of my own father, it brought unpleasant memories for the future.

"Yes! We want to take Asia-san in! We'll take her in and make her an amazing wife!" said Issei's mother.

"Not we want to, please allow us to take her in!" shouted his father, looking like he was ready to bow on the ground.

"Thank you very much, Father, Mother," I said, both of them shouting in glee. I looked at Issei and winked at him, receiving a sigh in response. What a cute servant I have.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I wanted to write this chapter from Rias' POV since the canon story is from Issei's POV. I wonder if that made it more interesting?**_

 _ **Anyways, let me know what you guys thought and anything you think I can improve about how I write each character since I don't want anyone getting too OOC.**_

 _ **Until next time(which should be in a couple weeks, hopefully)...byeee :D**_


	30. Volume 3 Life 6

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So I'm a little late, sorry about that. I got super distracted cause a rough translation of Volume 22 of the LN came out and I've been reading it. Anyways, so I was planning to fit the entire Raiser arc into one really long chapter but I wanted to cut it off part way so that I can plan out how I want the final battle to go. Hope you guys don't mind too much.**_

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.6**

 _Issei POV_

It's been about a week and a half since Asia-chan was reincarnated into a devil. She's fit back in with my parents nicely and it reminds me of the old times. In this past time, Rias had introduced us to Sona-kaichou and the other members of the student council. After that Rias and Sona-kaichou had had a duel over whose servants were going to get a familiar. Since I already have Kuroka, I didn't put much focus on what was happening but Asia-chan was. After all, this was when she made her contract with Rassei. That annoying little Sprite Dragon still zaps me whenever I'm around.

Right now, I'm laying on my bed after failing to get another contract. That part hasn't changed at all. I get so distracted with the clients that I forget to ask about making the contract. Honestly, I'll never learn.

While laying on my bed, I felt magic in the air and jumped off my bed before a Gremory magic circle appeared on the ground. Ah, yeah, I almost forgot about this event.

Out of the magic circle appeared Rias.

"Buchou?" I asked in mock confusion.

She silently turned off the lights and threw herself at me, her soft breasts pressing against my chest.

"Issei…Make love to me!" she shouted, surprising me. Did she look so passionate before?

"Um…ok?" I said, voice my surprise.

"Please, take my chastity," she said as she began unbuttoning her clothes. I sat there, very aroused by the sight. To see Rias doing this again. Ahh~ it's been so long since I've seen her naked body. Since I was never injured by the Fallen Angels, she never had to sleep with me so I haven't seen her beautiful body since before the incident. "You look happy. I'm glad. This is my first time so please be gentle."

Rias straddled me in her underwear before moving to take off her bra. I couldn't help but be even more aroused now, excited by the situation. Knowing I won't be able to do anything, though, is so frustrating.

"Do you…not have experience?" asked Rias, probably at my lack of moving. I shook my head and she smiled. "Well, that makes me slightly more comfortable."

"B-Buchou, are you alright with me?" I asked, killing time until Grayfia-san interrupts us.

"Although there are still some issues to deal with, you are the only man I'd want to do something like this with," she replied, her bra now off. She took my hand and pressed it into her firm yet soft bust and I was screaming in my head. "Now, Issei, please take me quickly."

Uooooh! Rias, stop, or else I'll really do it. I could slow Grayfia-san down by blocking her teleport long enough for us to do it. Please stop tempting me so much~!

"Issei…" she breathed as she brought her face close to mine.

As I anticipated the kiss, Grayfia-san _finally_ interrupted us. She appeared out of a gray magic circle with Sirzechs-sama's seal on it. I almost forgot what that disappointed expression of hers looked like.

"*sigh* It looks like I was too late. Forgive me for stopping it like this, Issei," said Rias, glaring over at Grayfia-san.

"The Master and Sirzechs-sama would be disappointed to see you in such a state," said Grayfia-san, annoyed.

"My body is my own. I can give to whomever I please," said Rias as she got off my lap. "And another thing, do not speak as though doing such a thing with my servant is negative. I won't allow anyone to mock my servants."

Grayfia-san was silent for a moment and she turned to pick up Rias' dress shirt.

"You are the heiress to the Gremory clan. Please exercise some discretion," she said as she put Rias' shirt over her shoulders. She then turned to me and smiled. "A pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Grayfia and I am a maid of the Gremory clan. I am also the Queen of her brother."

"It is nice to meet you as well. Please give Maou-sama my regards," I said, bowing a bit.

"You seem well informed," said Grayfia-san, looking at me with a sly expression. "So this is the one you mentioned? He has the power of the dragon coursing through his body but I feel less power than a human would normally have. He's suppressing his power quite well."

"Yes, he is my precious servant after all," said Rias before coming close to me. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Issei. I would say to just forget about this, but I don't think either of us could."

She kissed me on the cheek and I held that cheek after she moved back. Rias smiled at me before frowning and turning towards Grayfia-san.

"We shall be leaving now. Thank you for your cooperation," said Grayfia-san before she and Rias disappeared in a magic circle. I stared off to where they had just been and sighed.

Rias looked just as frustrated and sad as she did before. I have to save her again and beat that idiot Raiser.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Grayfia-san?" I said in mock surprise as I walked into the clubroom. I came in to find everyone there in the clubroom, Asia and Kiba looking like they had walked in just before I did.

"Everyone's finally here," said Rias, getting up.

"Mistress, I can explain-," began Grayfia-san before Rias put up a silencing hand.

"You see-," began Rias against before being interrupted by a glowing light.

A large, flaming magic circle appeared in the open area of the room and I gritted my teeth. Although I came to like Raiser after he had changed, the way he was before we fought was exactly the type of guy I hate.

Raiser appeared out of the magic circle which then disappeared along with the flames and he cracked his neck before rolling it around.

"Ahh~, it's been so long since I've been to the human world," said Raiser, sounding annoyed. He turned, grinning. "It's been a while, my darling Rias."

"Everyone, this is Raiser Phoenix-sama. He is a pure-blood high class devil from the Phoenix clan as well as its heir. He is also, the fiancée of your master," explained Grayfia-san, causing me to glare. I won't let anyone except me have that title. Rias is my love.

Some of the others seemed to be annoyed by him too since they glared at him as he found a place to sit, lounging as he looked over at Akeno. She seemed to have taken the unspoken hint and came back a few minutes later with tea, all of us remaining mostly silent as we waited.

"Ah~, Rias' Queen's tea is always delicious," said Raiser after sipping the tea. He beckoned Rias over and she, reluctantly, complied.

"The pleasure is mine," said Akeno, her tone becoming annoyed when Raiser put his arm around Rias' shoulders.

Raiser began to play with Rias' hair and placed his hand on her thigh after setting his tea down. Before I could snap at him, Rias stood up, annoyed.

"That's enough. Raiser, I've already told you I have no intention of marrying you," said Rias, angrily.

"Come now, Rias. Your family can't cater to your selfish desires forever," said Raiser, smugly.

"Who I marry will be _my_ choice," said Rias.

"After the last war, the number of Pure-blooded devils decreased dramatically. This has had a great impact on devilkind. Your father and Sirzechs took this into account before deciding on our engagement," said Raiser.

"My family is too panicked about bloodlines. I will marry who I want," said Rias before Raiser suddenly rose up and caught her chin in his hand, pulling her face close to his.

"Listen Rias, I am the important heir of the Phoenix clan. I will not lose face," said Raiser before turning his eyes towards us. "Even if I have to burn everything keeping you here to a crisp."

My expression was no longer calm since he was threatening and harassing Rias as well as my comrades. I let some of my energy leak as I glared at him, looking straight into his eyes.

I could see Grayfia-san tense up and she got in between us.

"Please cease this childishness. Raiser-sama, Mistress, I am here to watch over things by order of Sirzechs-sama. I will not allow you to do something reckless. My masters foresaw you two quarrelling and, should the situation become dire, I am to initiate a resolution," said Grayfia-san. I squinted my eyes and she glared at me a bit, knowing that I knew what she was going to say.

"Resolution?" said Rias, confused.

"My masters have instructed me to set up a Rating Game between you two that will settle this once and for all," said Grayfia-san, causing Kiba to gasp in real surprise while Akeno and Asia gasped in mock surprise.

"I've much experience in Rating Games. I've won many of them, too. Although it seems a bit unfair considering you not only lack experience but also lack a full house, I wouldn't mind settling it this way," said Raiser.

"We're at a total disadvantage if this happens," said Kiba, sounding frustrated.

"I have my full house. Does that frighten you, Rias?" said Raiser, mockingly.

"It doesn't matter, we'll still kick his ass," I said in response to Kiba's comment.

"Oh? Some low-level, shit of a devil dares to say that?" said Raiser, glaring at me.

"Don't test me," I said, leaking out more power than before.

"That's enough, Issei. I don't want you causing a scene," said Rias, causing me to, reluctantly, hide my power again.

"He's a wild one. I look forward to crushing him right in front of you, Rias. Until the Rating Game, then," said Raiser before opening a magic circle. He looked over at me with a smug grin on his face before disappearing through it and I growled in annoyance.

"Issei," said Rias, sounding annoyed. "You cannot challenge high-class devils like that. It will cause problems for me later on."

"Sorry," I said, dryly.

"Is this alright?" said Grayfia-san, calmly. "The date for the Rating Game will be ten days from today. I plan to inform Raiser-sama afterward. Considering your strengths from what I am familiar with, it will be near impossible."

"You don't know about Issei's strength. The only issue is the rest. Issei aside, none of my servants have serious experience in fighting, let alone some much stronger than they are," said Rias, drifting off in thought.

"That's not a problem," I said, simply. She and Grayfia-san looked at me with confused expressions and I grinned. "Training time!"

Rias just smiled at me while Grayfia-san looked skeptical.

"Alright. Training it is," said Rias.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Alright everyone, let's start," I said as everyone except Rias stood across from me. Rias stood behind me and I could feel her eyes watching me closely.

We were at one of Rias' homes in the middle of a mountainous forest and Rias had put me in charge of training since I had been so confident in the idea.

"Today, I'm going to start with Kiba," I began before manifesting Ascalon. "The rest of you can watch or do your own personal training until I finish with him. Including today we've got ten days but if we want to leave a day for rest, it means we've only got nine. Don't slack off and training will go well."

Everyone nodded and moved to the sidelines to watch while Kiba and I prepared our stances.

"Kiba, fight me seriously, like you're going for the kill," I said, seriously. Kiba looked at me, surprised, but nodded. I glanced over at Rias who gave us the signal to begin and Kiba came running at me. I blocked his first sword strike and then parried it off to the side. Kiba let go of that sword and created another, slashing at me while my arms were off to the side. I slipped past the swing and brought Ascalon in to hit him and stopped just before slicing at his back. He surrendered, realizing he was beaten and I nodded.

"Seems I lost this bout. We were more even before, though," said Kiba, wondering what had changed.

"I didn't use my full power before. Not even now. Although you're on par with me when it comes to sword techniques, I'm stronger than you so I can pull off maneuvers normal swordsman wouldn't be able to pull off. That aside, Kiba, your biggest problem is you're not using the versatility of your sword effects. You can make elemental swords, right? Why didn't you make one and try using the effects on me? Since your swords don't have many signs as to what they can do, you could surprise your opponents and get the upper hand," I explained. Kiba looked at his sword, looking like he was interested in the idea and I continued. "Here's an example. If you created a sword that could blow up, then that sword you left behind could have been a powerful weapon. I looped past that sword on my way to your rear for an attack. If that sword could blow up, you could have done that while I passed it and done a lot of damage. Another thing you could have done is create a sword that could somehow extend. If it had, you could have still slashed me when I dodged your sword since I just went out of range of your sword as opposed to dodging the sword completely. Sneak attacks and leading your opponent around are important when fighting guys stronger than you. Talk to Yumi about it. Her whole thing is being stealthy and sneaking around. She can help you more with it."

"Thank you, Ise-kun. That's a lot to think about," said Kiba, looking at his swords with interest.

I grinned at bit as I watched him and Yumi walk away from the group and looked over everyone.

"Asia, I don't have anything to teach you. Just work on getting closer with Rassei. He could help protect you while you're healing," I said, simply.

"Yes!" said Asia before leaving to summon Rassei.

"Akeno, you already know what I'm going to tell you," I said, simply.

"Yes, I know, Ise. I should work on using _those_ powers. Correct?" said Akeno. I smiled.

"That, yes, but you should also practice keeping track of those around you. You've had a nasty habit of getting too distracted and getting hit from behind," I said, causing Akeno to blush.

"Arara, Ise is being such a bully. Today he's being the S. Well, I'll take Ise's advice and work hard," said Akeno before moving off.

"Alright, now, Koneko-chan," I said, causing Koneko-chan to walk forward.

"What is Senpai going to teach me?" asked Koneko-chan, curious.

"I'm going to spend the rest of the teaching ki manipulation," I said, simply. Koneko-chan seemed a bit surprised by this but Rias was even more so.

"Issei! I told you Koneko-chan is sensitive about that. She isn't ready-," began Rias before I cut her off.

"Koneko-chan's biggest fear has been going out of control and doing what her sister did, right?" I said, receiving a nod from Rias. "Well, I've already shown her that I know how to suppress her ki. We'll start with the basics and move forward from that. If she doesn't like it, we'll stop. She's not going to be able to get much stronger unless she starts using her nekoshou powers so you might as well just let her."

"*sigh* Fine. Just be careful, you, two. I'll go and help Akeno with her training," said Rias before wandering off.

"Ise-senpai, are you sure you want to teach me?" said Koneko-chan.

"Yeah! I told your sister I'd take care of you so I might as well teach you. You still remember stuff from when Kuroka started to teach you before right?" I asked.

"Yes, but Nee-sama didn't take it seriously," said Koneko-chan, looking annoyed.

Ah~, Kuroka. You really need to take your little sister seriously. I might have to talk to her about it. Well, who know when that will be with her working hard with Vali and the others.

"I guess let's start with going into Nekomata mode. I can only really teach you senjutsu since I can't use youjutsu, though. I think senjutsu will be enough for now," I began while Koneko-chan built up ki inside her body. Her cat ears and tail popped out and she waited, patiently, as I thought about how to begin. "So, to begin with…"

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 ** _Sorry if the chapter seemed kinda choppy. I also skipped the filler with Asia contracting with Rassei since I didn't think it would be interesting. Aside from that, let me know what you guys thought and what you're hoping for for the future. I may take ideas I like from the comments and work them in so I hope you guys will give me good stuff!_**

 ** _Next chapter will be before the end of June since I'm going on vacation for the first two weeks of July. Look forward to it!_**

 ** _Until next time...byeee :D_**


	31. Volume 3 Life 7

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So, this is officially the longest chapter I've ever written. For any story. Ever.**_

 _ **Hope you guys appreciate it. I think I ended the chapter at a good point. Hope you guys like it.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.7**

It's been a couple days of training now and I had wandered out late at night to get some fresh air. Everything had been going well so far with everyone's training. Kiba and Asia have been progressing very quickly since they're just relearning what they already know. Kiba's been frustrated but he's improving, too. It was exhausting, though, for an idiot like me. I've always been the trainee, not the trainer. I hope I don't make any kind of serious mistakes.

I glanced up at the stars and sighed. The big, marble gazebo I was sitting in didn't have a hole in the top so it blocked part of the view. At least the sounds of the fountain are soothing…

"Issei?" called a voice from off to the side. I glanced over and saw Rias, dressed in a nightgown and glasses while holding a book.

"Buchou?" I said, curious.

"I came out to get some fresh air. I wasn't expecting to find you here at this time," said Rias, smiling at me. She came over and sat against a pillar across from me and opened her book.

"Me neither. I just wanted to relax. That book…?" I asked, curious.

"It's a plan I had written up. I've been reviewing it again and again but I'm still nervous and not very confident," said Rias, chuckling a bit.

"You shouldn't be. You're too amazing to feel anything _but_ confident," I said, smiling at her. She looked surprised by that line and smiled back before turning to the book.

"I have confidence in your at least…but, whose to say that means we can win? After all, the enemy is a Phoenix. Strong, regenerative, not to mention he's not an idiot. The second he realizes just how strong you are, he'll just come to get me. Once the King is down, we lose," said Rias, looking away, somberly.

"Buchou," I said, seriously, as I scooted over to her side. "I swear I won't let you marry that bastard. Even if I'd have to crash the wedding by myself."

Rias looked over at me and I looked eyes with her, showing how serious I was. Even when I was weaker than weak, I did that. I would no doubt do it again.

"Honestly, you're such a hard-headed servant," she said, blushing and looking away.

"Too bad you're stuck with me, huh?" I said, grinning.

"…Idiot," muttered Rias before hopping to her feet. "Anyways, the others are going to need your guidance, _Issei-sensei_. Don't go to bed too late."

"Got it, Buchou," I said, giving a thumbs up. She smiled and walked back towards the villa.

* * *

 ** _Some days later…_**

It's finally time for the Rating Game. We all were transported to a location that looked exactly like the clubroom and I was already on alert.

"Everyone, I am Grayfia, servant of the Gremory household and appointed judge between the Gremory and Phoenix families. Taking into account Rias-sama's and Raiser-sama's preferences, we decided to make the field and exact replica of Kuoh Academy. Both parties have been teleported to their main bases, Rias-sama's being the Occult Research Club's base, the old schoolhouse and Raiser-sama's being the principal's office in the new schoolhouse. Let the game begin."

Once Grayfia-san's announcements had been made, we all looked towards Rias. She released a bunch of small, red lights from her hand and each floated to one of us.

"These will act as our communication devices. Keep in touch and listen for commands. Issei, I want you to start off with making your way to the new school house however you can. Don't get caught. If you do, defeat the enemy and rendezvous with one of the others. If we can't get them with a sneak attack, I don't want to take unnecessary risks. Until we whittle down their forces, it's dangerous for me and our base to try and go for their main base," explained Rias. I nodded and turned to make my way outside. Good luck everyone.

* * *

 _Third Person POV_

After receiving orders from Rias, everyone spread out from the clubhouse, Asia staying behind. Issei began to move along a path near the edge of the field, trying to move as close to the enemy base. Koneko and Kiba moved out together, Koneko releasing her familiar to scout ahead, though she already knew how the enemy was going to proceed. Akeno did the same with her own familiar and waited. After her familiar returned, she contacted Rias to let her know everything was relatively clear. Koneko and Kiba split up before reaching the gym and Koneko slipped in.

"We know you're here, Gremory servants," said a woman's voice as the lights in the gym turned on.

Koneko walked out into the light, no point in continuing to hide, and moved into a fighting stance.

"The rook, huh? And you're all alone, how sad," said one of Raiser's servants.

"I'm Mira, a pawn," said a girl holding a staff.

"I'm Xuelan, a rook," said the girl who spoke before. She was dressed in a Chinese dress.

"I'm Il, a pawn," said a short, green haired girl.

"And I'm Nel, also a pawn," said a girl who looked identical to the other girl.

"A rook and three pawns," said Koneko as she raised her aura. Her cat ears and tail came out as she looked between them. "You, Xuelan, are strong, probably as much as a Queen. I can't hold back."

"Hahaha! We're going to destroy you, you little kitten," said Xuelan, moving into a fighting stance.

"Ise-senpai, I will put you're training to the test, now," said Koneko to herself before coating her fists in ki. She leapt out at Xuelan, ready to punch, but Mira leapt out in front, her staff ready to block. Koneko punched forward, ignoring the staff, and broke it in half. Mira had a shocked expression as the punch broke her prized weapon but she didn't have time to react before Koneko's punch hit her in the gut. The ki significantly increased the force of her punch and it launch Mira back, slamming her into Xuelan and into the wall of the gym.

Il and Nel looked surprised but didn't waste any time pulling out their chainsaws and attempting to slash at Koneko.

"We're gonna cut you up!" shouted both girls in sink as they slashed. Koneko dodged the attack, though it cut through her clothing, revealing her bra and panties. She looked down, a bit embarrassed, but continued on.

The twins continued to slash at Koneko and she eventually became annoyed before kicking the side of one of the chainsaws, launching it towards the other. The chainsaws crashed together and jammed up on each other, both spewing out smoke as they broke.

"Ah! How could you!" shouted Il.

"These are our favorite weapons!" shouted Nel, both angry.

"Strike out," said Koneko, calmly, as she threw a strong punch at the ground in front of the twins.

The ground blasted out chunks of rock, smashing into the twins and knocking them both out.

[Raiser-sama's two Pawns have retired]

"Two down, two to go," said Koneko to herself, preparing for Mira and Xuelan to rejoin the fight.

Xuelan was the first to come out from the rubble of the destroyed wall she had been launch into and Mira soon followed, though she was much more injured.

"That hurt, dammnit," said Mira, angrily.

"You're stronger than I expected, Rook of Gremory. I'll enjoy beating you down," said Xuelan before launching herself towards Koneko. She ignited her right foot and aimed a kick at Koneko, the kick being easily caught by Koneko. "…Huh?"

"Bye, bye," said Koneko, smiling as she spun around and threw Xuelan at Mira. Mira cried out a profanity or two as Xuelan smashed into her already injured abdomen and the two were again smashed into a wall. This time, though, they weren't getting up.

[Raiser-sama's Rook and Pawn have retired]

"Arara," said a voice as someone approached. Koneko turned and found Akeno to be flying in and released her cat ears and tail. "You managed to wipe them all out by yourself. You've gotten strong with some of Issei's training, huh?"

"Ise-senpai is a good teacher," said Koneko, calmly.

"Mm," began Akeno. She held her hand up to her ear and looked through the opening Koneko had created in the wall of the gym. "Rias, Koneko-chan has secured the gym. What should we do now?"

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile…_**

While Koneko was defeating those in the gym, Issei was still moving through the field, hiding amongst the trees in a small forested area on the school campus.

Kiba was to stay relatively close to the base and deal with any trespassers but Issei was planning to deal with the group that was going to come through here before they could get any closer.

"My my, what is this lonely guy doing out here," said a girl as Issei came into her view. Issei stopped and grinned.

"Hi there, my name is Schlia, a pawn," said one of the girls.

"I'm Marion! I'm also a pawn."

"And I'm Bulent, a pawn."

"Sorry, pretty girls, but I'm going to have to defeat you," said Issei, as he moved into a fighting stance.

"Heehee, even if you _could_ get past us, Raiser-sama already know about you. Any surprise attack you were planning has failed," said Schlia. Issei frowned and put a hand to his ear.

"Buchou, I've run into three pawns that were probably going to try a sneak attack. I'll deal with them and follow the plan," said Issei, receiving an 'Alright' in response. "I'll deal with you quickly."

"You're too confident, weakling," said Bulent before raising her hand. She shot off a powerful beam of magic and Issei slapped it away with his bare hand, not even bothering to cover it in ki. Bulent was surprised by this, as were the other two, and they all prepared for a fight.

[Raiser-sama's two Pawns have retired]

"Ah, Koneko-chan is doing well, I guess," said Issei before launching himself forward. He covered his fists in a fiery ki and launched a fist forward just in front of each of them. He moved fast enough that they couldn't react and the blast of fiery ki put them all out of commission.

[Raiser-sama's three Pawns have retired]

"Now that's done," began Issei to himself. "I'll return back now. Raiser might send forces to attack the main base."

* * *

"So you and Koneko are alright then?" asked Rias after receiving a transmission from Akeno. "Alright, good. Issei dealt with three pawns just before Koneko finished off her last two so things are going well. He's coming back to base and should be here in a few minutes. You two should try to hold the gym for now."

"Um…Rias-onee-sama, don't you think it's suspicious that the Queen hasn't been run into, yet?" asked Asia.

"I was thinking the same. No one has called in with anything and Yuuto said it's all quiet around the base. I had Akeno set up traps all around so it won't be easy to get close," began Rias before drifting off. "What are you planning, Raiser…?"

 _"Buchou,"_ said Issei through the communication device. _"I'm sensing a strong power near where the gym is. Koneko-chan and Akeno should be careful."_

"Akeno, Koneko, did you hear that?" asked Rias, receiving 'Yes's in response. "If the Queen shows up, we're going to have to move out into all-out attack. Especially if we lose the gym as a checkpoint."

"I-I think we can win, Rias-onee-sama!" said Asia, a confident look in her eyes.

"I hope so…" muttered Rias to herself, worry on her face.

* * *

Issei had just arrived in an open area in front of the clubroom and he looked out towards the gym where he had felt that power from before. He used his ki to pinpoint it and saw a glowing light very high in the sky. It wasn't very noticeable because it blended in with the strange sky of the space where the field was but Issei could tell they were about to launch an attack. Before he could do anything, though, they launched an enormous blast of orange energy down on the gym, causing a massive explosion.

 _"Issei! What was that?"_ asked Rias through the communication device.

"Their Queen was that power I felt. They just destroyed the gym. I'm going, Buchou," said Issei before sprinting forward.

 _"I'll protect Buchou and Asia, so don't worry, Ise-kun,"_ said Kiba through the communication device.

"Roger that," said Issei as he continued onward.

He reached the remains of the gym after a couple minutes of running at full speed and found the dust finally clearing. Akeno was within a glowing sphere of electricity, the same defense she used against Issei's breath attack when they fought in his separate space.

"Akeno! Where's Koneko-chan?" asked Issei, worried.

"I'm not sure. The blast surprised me. I didn't think the Queen would attack us both at the same time," said Akeno as she released her barrier.

The two heard some rustling in the rubble nearby and Issei pulled a large part of the roof of the gym off the ground to find a battered Koneko.

"Koneko-chan!" said Issei, throwing the piece of rubble away.

"Sorry, Senpai. My ki isn't strong enough yet so I took a lot of damage," said Koneko. Issei looked her over and found that her right arm was broken, her clothes were either destroyed in some parts or covered in blood in others.

"We'll have to get you to Asia. She can get you back to normal," said Issei as he picked her up bridal-style. Koneko blushed a bit, but winced as her broken arm was jostled.

"Buchou, I'm bringing Koneko-chan back. The gym's been destroyed and she's injured," said Issei.

"Rias, I think I'll take some revenge for our kouhai, alright?" said Akeno, sounding annoyed.

 _"Be careful, Akeno. Raiser's Queen isn't weak,"_ said Rias. _"Issei, Asia is ready to help. Hurry before Raiser's other servants start to attack."_

"Yes, Buchou," said Issei before leaving to return Koneko to the clubhouse.

Akeno, on the other hand, was releasing her aura, annoyed that someone had hurt one of her precious kouhai and remembering how Koneko had been defeated the same way in the previous timeline.

"I've always wanted to try fighting you, Priestess of Lightning," said Raiser's Queen, smiling down on Akeno. Akeno began flying up, releasing more of her electric, yellow aura, and grinned at the enemy queen.

"Ara ara, I'm honored, Raiser's Queen. I hope you're not too confident, though. I've been told that I'm pretty strong, Ufufu," said Akeno, her tone condescending.

"Tch, I hope you're ready for me," said Raiser's Queen before pointing her staff at Akeno and releasing a blast of demonic energy. Akeno flew around to dodge it and began to release electricity from her hands.

"And now, combined with light," said Akeno before light mixed with the electricity, creating lightning.

"So I get to see your half-breed power? Interesting! I wonder if it's strong enough to take me down," said Raiser's Queen, confidently.

"You won't last long if it hits you. Dodge it if you can," said Akeno, giggling to herself. Akeno launched a bolt of lightning at Raiser's Queen and she dodged it before firing off another beam of energy. Akeno blocked it with a defensive magic circle before shooting off a few bolts of lightning. Raiser's Queen tried to block it with a large magic circle but it wore down quickly and she was hit by one of the bolts, eliciting a scream of pain. "Ufufu, you have such pretty screams."

"Grr…I'll kill you," said Raiser's Queen, angrily. This time, she formed a different kind of magic circle and fired several elemental spells at Akeno. Akeno created her electric barrier and the spells bounced off it. She released the barrier and, this time, flew up close before grabbing Raiser's Queen by the wrist.

"Seems it's over now," said Akeno, grinning. Raiser's Queen's eyes widened but she didn't even have a chance to struggle before Akeno shocked her with a powerful bolt of electricity. Steam came off her as she fell to the ground, landing on her head with a loud thud.

"Ugh…" groaned Raiser's Queen. "Hehe but I still have-…! Where-Where is it?"

"Ufufu, did you really think I wouldn't have realized?" said Akeno as she floated down towards Raiser's fallen Queen. She held out a small, tear shaped bottle and grinned. "That you would have a Phoenix Tear, that is."

Akeno created electricity in her hand, destroying the tear and looked down, menacingly on Raiser's Queen.

"Don't bully my precious kouhai again," said Akeno before creating a magic circle in front of her. She blasted out a bolt of lightning, finally knocking out Raiser's Queen, and she grinned, her sadistic side obviously ecstatic.

[Raiser-sama's Queen has retired]

* * *

Issei was currently outside with Kiba. Issei had left Koneko with Rias and Asia and they had just heard the announcement that the enemy queen had retired.

"Raiser will get desperate now. His remaining forces will start coming out in an all-out assault on our base," said Kiba, preparing himself.

"Yeah. Especially while two of our members are exhausted. Let's work hard as the men of the Gremory, alright?" said Issei, smiling over at Kiba.

 _"Issei, Yuuto, I'm working on a surprise attack against the enemy base with Asia and Koneko. I need you two to buy us as much time as you can while whittling down the enemy's forces,"_ said Rias through the communication circle.

"But Buchou that's-," began Kiba before being interrupted.

"Sounds good, Buchou. We'll take care of Raiser's main force and meet with you when you leave the base. The final showdown is about to begin, right?" asked Issei, cracking his knuckles in anticipation.

 _"Thank you, Issei. Work hard, you two,"_ said Rias.

"It's dangerous for the King to leave HQ you know," said Kiba, pouting.

"Then we'll just have to make sure she isn't alone, right Knight of the Gremory?" said Issei, grinning. Kiba sighed and shook his head before nodding in agreement.

The two walked out towards the track area in between the gym and the clubhouse to find a large group of Raiser's servants.

"I shall begin! I am a knight that serves Raiser-sama, Carmine. You two are brave to come out into the open. I shall be the first to face you," said a woman clad in armor. She pulled out a sword and ignited it in flames, moving into a battle stance.

"I am a knight who serves Rias-sama, Kiba Yuuto. I look forward to this fight between knights," said Kiba as he walked forward. He manifested a dark sword with a blue tinge and moved into a battle stance.

Kiba launched himself at Carmine, Carmine doing the same, and the two clashed swords against each other. Carmine attempted to overpower Kiba with her flames but was surprised by the steam that was emitted from the clashing swords.

"What's this? Steam?" said Carmine in confusion before leaping back.

"This is a special sword that has the properties of water. Your fire won't have much of an effect on me," said Kiba, grinning.

"Then I shall beat you down with my swordsmanship!" shouted Carmine before launching herself at him again. The two clashed swords many times, moving back and forth across the track. While they fought, the others of Raiser's group began to move forward.

"Silly Carmine. Nothing in her head but swords, swords, swords. Fine, as long as she doesn't lose, I don't have a problem with her fighting him one-on-one," said a girl from off to the side.

Issei turned to look at her and his eyes widened in surprise.

"R-Ravel…" said Issei, trying to keep his voice down. She hadn't yet introduced herself so he had to keep quiet about knowing her.

She turned to him, her hair drills swaying from the motion.

"Hello there, little devil," said Ravel as she began to walk towards Issei. As she did so, other members from the group encircled Issei and she smiled, confidently. "I'm a bit concerned over Rias-sama's taste in gentlemen. That one over there is handsome but he's a sword-freak. You, on the other hand, I don't get. Not very attractive, and incredibly weak looking. I can barely even feel your aura. Honestly."

Issei couldn't help but sweat-drop at Ravel's unkind remarks, reminding him of how snide she was before she met him. Honestly, those two siblings were pretty terrible people before meeting Issei.

"I-I'd like to think I've got some charm," said Issei.

"Maybe for a low-class person like yourself you'd be average at best," said Ravel, stabbing her words into Issei's poor heart.

"Ah, forget it!" said Issei, childishly. "Let's just get this over with!"

"Eh? Oh no, I don't fight. Isabella," said Ravel, causing one of Raiser's servants to come forward. A woman with a biker getup and mask came forward, causing Issei to once again sweat-drop.

"I am Isabella, a rook of Raiser-sama. Let's rumble!" shouted Isabella before launching herself at Issei. She threw out several punches, all of which Issei dodged with a calm expression on his face.

"Too slow," said Issei under his breath, causing Isabella to growl in annoyance.

"Isabella, don't disappoint Onii-sama," said Ravel, seriously.

"Y-Yes, Ravel-sama," said Isabella before speeding up her assault. "Raah!"

She sped up her assault to the point where her punches formed a wall of fists in front of her and Issei decided to see what would happen if one of those fists actually hit him. He stopped his movements in the path of one of the punches and Isabella noticed it. She put all her strength into her punch, smashing her fist into Issei's chest. There was a moment of calmness as the thud reverberated through the air.

Isabella grinned in success that she managed to hit Issei but her eyes widened when he grinned back at her. She looked down at her fist and found that her knuckles were seriously misshapen.

"A-AHHHHH!" shouted Isabella in pain as she gripped her broken hand. Issei didn't give her a moment, though, before quickly blasting her away with ki.

[Raiser-sama's Rook has retired]

"I feel kind of bad since she was in such pain before I knocked her out," said Issei, rubbing the back of his head.

Issei glanced over at Kiba and just in time to see him shatter Carmine's sword. She stared in shock before gritting her teeth and putting some distance between them.

"Oh my, if I don't hurry up and deal with my opponent, Ise-kun is going to leave me in the dust," said Kiba before transforming his sword into an odd-looking silver sword with what looked like a small black hole on one end. He held the sword up and began sucking up things around it.

"Ugh, how many Sacred Gears do you have?" asked Carmine, angrily.

"I only have one, Sword Birth," said Kiba before touching the ground with his hand. Carmine sensed something was wrong and leapt away from where she was just before a dozen swords grew out of the ground.

"Seriously?" said Carmine in shock.

"Hey, hey, Mr. Pawn?" said Ravel, re-catching Issei's attention. Issei turned to find Ravel pointing over towards the top of the new schoolhouse. "What's that?"

Issei saw Rias flying down to the top of the schoolhouse, carrying Asia and being followed by Koneko.

"Kiba, it's time to finish up," said Issei before coating his fists in a fiery ki.

"I agree. Buchou is going to be mad if we're late," said Kiba, readying his sword.

"You have big names in your group: Ruin Princess, Twilight Healing, Priestess of Lightning, Sword Birth, and the legendary Boosted Gear. But you all lack experience and we have a great advantage," began Ravel before lighting a fire in her hand. "The power of the immortal phoenix. You can't possibly win."

The other four who had surrounded Issei alongside Ravel began inching closer to Issei, who grinned in response.

"Come at me!" said Issei, confidently. The four girls leapt at Issei, all with different attacks.

"Taste my sword!" shouted one of the girls before slashing at Issei. He punched the blade with his ki coated hand, shattering it, and in the same motion, he kicked one of the girls with a ki coated foot, lighting her clothes on fire, and launching her away.

The girl whose sword was broken had tensed up in surprise so Issei took that opportunity to grab her by the collar of her shirt and swung her around, smashing her into the other two girls who were coming at Issei.

All the girls ended up flying over in Kiba's direction and Issei called out to him.

"Now, Kiba!" shouted Issei, causing Kiba to grin.

"Massive Sword Birth!" shouted Kiba before making hundreds of swords grow from the ground around him. All four girls Issei tossed over as well as the knight Kiba had been fighting were caught up, being skewered into submission.

[Raiser-sama's three Pawns, One Bishop, and Two Knights have retired]

"Ugh, you're stronger than I thought," said Ravel, looking annoyed.

"To Rias, now," said Issei before running towards the new schoolhouse, Kiba following close behind.

* * *

"Your servants are better than I though, Rias," said Raiser, grinning. "Though your best piece, your Queen, used to much of her strength earlier, didn't she? She won't be able to help you."

"Akeno-fukubuchou doesn't need to help," said Koneko as she moved into a fighting stance, her ears and tail out.

"Oh? And you think you can do something?" said Raiser before shooting a plume of fire out at the trio. Rias put up a magic circle to protect her and Asia but Koneko dodged the attack and ran towards Raiser, ready to attack. She came close and landed a heavy blow to his chest, enhanced with ki, but the punch went through him as he partially transformed into fire. "That doesn't work on me."

He blew out intense flames at Koneko's body, burning her clothes and arm.

"Koneko!" shouted Rias, but she was unable to do anything as Raiser blasted Koneko away with his flames.

[Rias-sama's Rook has retired]

"Raiser!" shouted Rias, angrily, before firing off a ball of destruction. Raiser blew it away by fanning out his flames and he smirked.

"Your servants are bad, Rias. With a few years of training, they might be good servants. By then though, you'll already long have been my bride," said Raiser.

"Onii-sama," said Ravel as she flew close to her brother with her flaming wings. "It seems we're the only two left."

"That's fine, little sister. I can easily wipe out the rest. Observe," said Raiser before pointing a finger down at Issei and Kiba who were running towards the building. Issei had just released his dragon wings to fly up to the top of the building when Raiser shot a concentrated beam of fire. The fire blew past Issei at high speed and pierced Kiba through the chest. He coughed up blood as he called out in pain.

"Kiba!"

"Yuuto!" shouted Issei and Rias, respectively.

[Rias-sama's Knight has retired]

"Just resign, Rias. If you do, I'll stop hurting your precious servants," said Raiser, mockingly.

"Who should?!" shouted Rias before blasting Raiser in the face with a ball of destruction, taking off a chunk of his face.

"Don't you get it, Rias," began Raiser as his wounds were engulfed in flames. "You'll never be able to beat me."

Raiser's wounds completely healed as the flames dissipated but his grin vanished when he felt a powerful presence off to the side.

He turned to see what it was but didn't even turn halfway before a fist smashed into the side of his head, launching him off the building and into the ground below with such force that he dented the ground where he landed creating a small crater.

"O-Onii-sama?!" shouted Ravel in shock. She couldn't see Raiser due to the cloud of smoke, but she did turn to see who it was that had hit her brother.

Issei landed on top of the new schoolhouse, where Rias and Raiser had been fighting, and breathed out a deep sigh.

"Hah~! That felt great. Watching you do that to Kiba really pissed me off so I needed to do something of at least that level to feel better," said Issei, stretching.

"You- Just who are you? Rias-sama couldn't have anyone as powerful as you, I would have known about it!" said Ravel, angrily.

"That's because even Rias doesn't know just how strong I am," said Issei, grinning. Ravel stared at him, wide-eyed, and watched as he turned his head back in Raiser's direction, his smile disappearing.

Down in the crater, the dust cloud was dissipating and they could see Raiser, most of his body covered in repairing flames.

"Agh!" coughed out Raiser as he spat out blood. "You-You bastard. That really freaking hurt."

"Rias-onee-sama, I don't think we need to fight anymore," said Asia.

"It's just a bit frustrating to know that one of my servants is so much more powerful than his master. His power is ridiculous," said Rias, biting her lip.

Raiser's flames slowly disappeared, all the damage now gone and he cracked his neck before glaring at Issei.

"You shitty low-class devil. How dare you injure me in such a way? I'm going to enjoy pummeling you into the ground," said Raiser as he released his fiery wings. Issei leapt off the building as he said one word.

"Promotion…"

Issei landed on the ground, cracking it a bit as he smashed down and looked up at Raiser with fire in his eyes.

"Queen."

Issei's aura spiked again, this time due to his promotion, and he materialized his Boosted Gear.

"So you're going to use your Sacred Gear now?" asked Raiser as he moved into a battle stance.

"No, I'm going to use my Balance Breaker!" shouted Issei before his armor manifested. He moved into a battle stance and coated his gauntlets in a thick layer of red ki, representative of his draconic powers.

"Tch! Why are you working so hard to interfere?! Don't you know? This is to ensure the continuation of our bloodlines! To continue being pure-blooded high-class devils! Do you want to ruin our households by interfering?" shouted Raiser, angrily. "Just let me have her-"

"I'm not giving her to you!" shouted Issei, interrupting Raiser. "She's mine! You have a problem with that?!"

Rias blushed at hearing Issei's words but Raiser just grinned, mockingly.

"I see, you fell for your master? Well, that's fine. I'll just have to kill you so you don't have to live with knowing you'll never be good enough for a high-class devil!" shouted Raiser, making his wings blaze out even more.

The two launched at each other and collided, Issei's fist smashing away Raiser's. Raiser roared out and blew intense flames in Issei's face. Issei ignored the heat of the flames and smashed Raiser in the gut, blasting ki right through him. Raiser stumbled back and covered the hole in his stomach, now covered in flames but glared and continued to fight.

He created a ball of fire in his hand condensed and added more flames to it over and over before finally blasting Issei with an inferno of flames. Issei responded by releasing more of his hidden aura, blasting the flames away. Raiser looked surprised by that action but became angrily and started throwing out random attacks of flames at Issei, covering the entire area Issei was in in an intense fire that would have killed anyone else. Too bad his opponent was Issei.

"Too weak," said Issei from inside the flames. Raiser trembled when he heard that and started to take steps backwards as he heard the thumps of Issei's steps and the clanking of his armor.

Issei came out of the flames, completely unscathed, and his eyes glowed bright green.

"I'm going to show you…why you should never underestimate a dragon!" shouted Issei before pointing a finger in the air. A small red dot began to form just above his finger and there was only one sound that broke the silence.

[Boost!]

The dot began to grow and the boosts kept coming, making the dot grow bigger and bigger.

[Boost! Boost! Boost Boost Boost! Boost Boost! Boost!]

The ball of red energy was enormous, bigger than the clubhouse, and Issei removed his mask to he could look at Raiser.

"Take this, Raiser!" shouted Issei before throwing his arm down. The enormous ball of energy began to come down towards Raiser and he screeched in fear. "DRAGOOOOOOON SHOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTT!"

The field was engulfed in the blast but at the last second, Issei leapt up and put a powerful barrier around himself, Rias and Asia.

Once the blast had subsided, there was a simple announcement.

[Raiser-sama has retired. The King has been defeated. Rias-sama has won]

Rias could only stare in shock, and a bit of fear, as she took in the destruction. Three-quarters of the field had been all but decimated. The only thing that still stood was part of the clubhouse, a golden sphere visible. She realized that was Akeno.

She looked back to find that Ravel had hid behind the barrier Issei had put up so she hadn't been hit but she looked particularly shocked and defeated.

"Issei, I…" began Rias, trailing off as she didn't have words.

"Buchou, 40%," said Issei, simply.

"…What?" said Rias, snapped out of her shock and now in disbelief.

"That was 40% of my full power," said Issei, grinning at her.

"…I…I can't talk about this right now," said Rias, too shocked to even think.

"Alright," said Issei, simply, as the two looked off at the destruction.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I decided to do the battle in third person rather than jumping from POV to POV. Hope that made it easier to follow.**_

 _ **The ending was...awkward. At least that's how I feel. I don't want to go further because I have an idea for the next scene but I wanted to leave you guys with a good moment.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you liked or wished/wanted by Reviewing!**_

 _ **I'll be on a trip starting July 1st and I won't be back til July 11th. Hope you guys can survive til then xD**_

 _ **Until next time...byeee :D**_


	32. Volume 3 Life 8

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So, I didn't have as much time on the plane to and back to write like I had hoped. Between people sitting next to me being sick and the fact that I didn't have the wiki to look up stuff I needed, I decided to just wait until I got back.**_

 _ **This chapter is also longer than I planned to make it, blowing out my previous record of 5k words. This chapter is nearly 7500 words!**_

 _ **Hope you guys like it cause this won't happen all the time xD**_

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.8**

 _Issei POV_

Rias and I were currently in the infirmary to see Koneko-chan and Kiba, who had been injured by that yakitori bastard. Asia was healing them right now, but it would take some time, especially for Kiba who had been pierced through one of his lungs. That was a delicate area for healing.

"W-W-Well, it seems we underestimated you this time, Rias-sama," said a voice from behind us. I turned and found Ravel, looking pretty pissed that we messed up her plan. Sorry, Ravel, but I hid my power until now for a reason.

"Seems so, though I seem to have underestimated my servants as well. Koneko and Yuuto did better against Raiser's servants than I had expected," said Rias, looking happy about that.

"True, I didn't quite expect that. You've been raising those two well, though I'm more curious about this one," said Ravel, pointing at me.

"Well, he's a special case. I can't tell you much about him, since I know very little myself. I hope he'll tell me at one point or another," said Rias, glaring over at me.

"He's quite disrespectful. Not telling his master about his past as well as proclaiming such an absurd thing in the battle," said Ravel, glaring at me.

Rias blushed when Ravel brought up what I had said and looked away, staying silent.

"So, Ravel, how's your brother doing? I didn't want to hold back against that yakitori; hope he isn't too hurt," I lied. If I had used even 10% more power, the retire system wouldn't have been able to save him.

"Humph! Onii-sama is fine, thank you very much. He's sleeping now while the Phoenix power heals him. Don't get too confident; you may be strong, but you're still just a low-class devil," said Ravel.

Ah~, I've missed seeing Ravel in her tsun-tsun mode~.

"Well, when he wakes up, tell him that I think he's a yakitori bastard, 'kay? I want him to know how much I respect him," I said, mockingly. Ravel let out another 'Hmph' and turned away, walking back over to where her brother and his peerage were being tended to.

"You know, you'll get me in trouble if you keep mouthing off to high-class devils like that. I swear, if you were to talk like that to my brother…" said Rias, trailing off. "Anyways, Issei, I was thinking about something."

"Hm?" I said, wondering what she was going to say. Is it about moving into my house?

"Well, Asia is living at your house, and I was wondering if it would be good if I moved in to…guide, my newest servants," said Rias, her cheeks just a bit red.

"Eh? W-Well, I mean, I don't have a problem with it, Buchou, but I don't have another spare room. Would you share Asia's room?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, yes, I'd share Asia's room, though I might want to have some skin ship with my precious pawn," said Rias, looking me in the eye.

Uoohh! Saying that while looking me in the eyes with that expression is telling me you mean something more than just touching! Rias, you're too tempting and cute!

"I-I don't have a problem with it, though you should probably talk to my parents again. They'll probably be really happy, though," I said. Rias just smiled at me in response and we turned back around to Asia as she healed the others. She looked particularly frustrated. Maybe because Rias was moving back in despite her not making any progress in our relationship?

"Arara, I don't like that I did so little in this fight. Only defeating the enemy queen is such a bore," said Akeno as she came to join.

"It's good enough, Akeno. We won in the end so everything is fine," said Rias, simply.

"Mm," said Akeno, pouting a bit.

* * *

 ** _Some days later…_**

"Kiba was absent again?" said Akeno in mock surprise.

"Yes…" said Rias, trailing off in thought.

Currently, Rias, Akeno, Koneko-chan, Asia, Valerie, and Yumi were all in the clubroom, myself included.

Yumi had a complicated expression on her face and I knew what she was thinking.

"It's _that_ , right?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, it's because of Kiba and Yumi's past. I've already spoken to him several times but he's bent on destroying the pieces of Excalibur," said Rias, irritated.

"I think he's more interested in killing the ones who did this in the first place," I said.

"Well that's obvious, but why do you think that's more important?" asked Rias, curious.

"Because I have this," I said before pulling Excalibur Rapidly from my separate space and stabbing it into the wooden floor below. Rias looked at it in shock, most of the devils in the room tensing at the powerful holy energy. "I've already shown it to Kiba, Akeno and Koneko-chan included. Kiba was obviously angry but he didn't say anything and he didn't ask me to give it to him."

"How did you get that?" asked Rias, glaring.

"I stole it when I attacked the facility. I thought it would be better than letting the priests there use it against me. Unfortunately, it didn't make as much a difference as I had hoped. My ability to wield it has something to do with the fact that I'm Ascalon's user bur I don't really understand it well," I explained.

"Put it away," ordered Rias, causing me to put the sword away in a bit of a panic. "The church is still looking for lost holy swords. Taking it out could cause problems and bring exorcists here to retrieve it. Please be more careful."

"Ah, sorry, I didn't think about that…" I said, rubbing the back of my neck. I didn't really think about it but they did track Freed down to here in Kuoh because he was using an Excalibur.

"*sigh* Anyways, aside from the endless surprises you keep giving me, I'll have to have another talk with Yuuto, though I can't be as understanding with him this time. He's going to get himself killed if he keeps being reckless," said Rias, worried.

"I'll talk to Kiba, too. After all, we think of each other as siblings. I'm sure he'll listen to me," said Yumi.

"Yes, I believe he will. I'll let you know when I plan to talk to him again," said Rias, receiving a nod from Yumi. "Alright, you all can go ahead and deal with your duties and you all can go home."

"Yes Buchou!" said everyone minus Yumi and Valerie.

* * *

 ** _Later on…_**

I was currently out, in the middle of the night, called out by one of my 'contracts'.

"So, Sensei, what did you call me out for?" I asked, suspicious. Azazel-sensei was wearing a yukata and had called me out to walk along a path in a peaceful garden area.

"Nothing much, nothing much. I was just curious to see how things are coming along. It's been a while now since you came back. I heard what happened in your fight with Raiser. You went pretty hard on him, don't you think?" asked Azazel-sensei.

"Well, I needed to make him fear dragons like last time so that he would become a better person again. I also needed to show Ravel my cool side otherwise she might not become interested in talking to me later. I want to try and get everyone back to the way they were before, it's just that this time I have to do it differently," I explained, looking off at the stars.

"Ah~, you're too young to be worrying about complicated stuff like that. I guess you'll have to, though. At least for now. I can't exactly help you until the alliance is formed otherwise it might be suspicious. After all, the Governor of the Grigori helping both the Red _and_ White dragons? Sounds a little suspicious don't you think?" said Azazel-sensei, grinning at me.

"I know, I know. How are we going to deal with Kokabiel this time? It's about time for him to show his stupid face," I said, annoyed. I really hated that battle-crazed Fallen Angel. He was probably one of the worst major enemies I faced.

"I still plan to punish him with eternal freezing but it's up to you if you want to rough him up or not. I'll wait until the opportune time," said Azazel-sensei, making me smile. He was basically giving me free rein to do as I pleased. Good.

"Was that all?" I asked, curious.

"Can't a man take a relaxing walk with his student?" asked sensei, grinning at me. I grinned back, well it would be nice to just relax a bit.

* * *

 ** _Later on…_**

"Tonight is the night when Irina-san and Xenovia-san come, right Ise-san?" asked Asia as we walked home after our nightly duties.

"Yeah. We should feel the holy energy in…five, four, three, two…there it is," I said, feeling the unsettling holy energy. Since every Excalibur's energy is different, any of the other Excalibur's makes my skin crawl.

We walked over to and inside my house, finding that the light in the sitting room was on.

"And this was when he won his first martial arts trophy…Oh~~ I remember he got that nose bleed all over his gi," said mom, probably going through another photo album.

We walked in to find Irina and Xenovia dressed in their black bodysuits and a white cloak over top. Off to the side was Xenovia's Excalibur, Excalibur Destruction.

"Mom?" I said as we came in.

"Oh? Issei, you're home! Say hello to our guests," said mom as she put away the photo album.

"Hey hey Ise-kun! Do you remember me?" asked Irina, happily.

"Of course, you're Irina, right? You're really different from back then," I said, playing along.

"She was such a tomboy as a child, it was no wonder you two got along so well," said mom, getting lost in the memories.

"Ehehe! Well, I'm glad you remember me, Ise-kun! A lot has changed and you never know _what_ surprises you'll find," said Irina, her words hiding what she really meant. I knew she knew Asia and I were devils, but she didn't know I also knew exactly who and what she and Xenovia were.

"Yeah…" I said, slightly awkward.

"Well, we should probably head out for tonight. It's getting kind of late," said Irina, feeling more than seeing the glares Xenovia was shooting at me.

"Oh~, please come and visit again before you leave. It's so good having you back and we have so much to catch up on," said mom before giving Irina a hug goodbye.

"Don't worry, we'll be back soon, promise. Byeee~ Ise-kun, see you soon," said Irina, smiling and waving as she and Xenovia left.

What kind of situation is this going to turn into?

* * *

A little while after Irina and Xenovia left the house, Rias came in in a panic.

"Are you both alright?" asked Rias, her breathing ragged as she ran to us and looked us over.

"Yes, Rias-onee-sama," said Asia, smiling over at Rias. Her smile seemed to reassure Rias who calmed down a bit before throwing herself at us in a hug.

"I was so worried. The spells I placed on the house went off signaling an incredibly powerful holy energy. I had thought the worst, even though I know how strong Issei is. What happened? Who was it?" asked Rias, still hugging us.

"A childhood friend of mine and another woman. They were both wielding Excalibur. My childhood friend came by to visit; she seemed to know we were devils but she wouldn't have done anything in front of mom," I explained.

"Two? I'm glad you're both safe. Although you could protect yourself, Asia might have fallen victim. I should have gotten here sooner," said Rias, pulling away to look at us.

"We're fine, Onee-sama. Ise-san would have protected me," said Asia, smiling again.

"*sigh* I just want to know what they're doing in my territory. I hope they're not causing trouble. I'll have to finish my conversation with Sona to find out what we want to do about them," said Rias, now looking annoyed. "Well, you two don't need to worry about it. Let's go to bed and deal with it in the morning."

"Yes, Buchou!" Asia and I said in unison, looking forward to seeing Irina and Xenovia again the next day.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

I was on my way to the clubroom, leaving later than the others who were on their way over. I walked up the stairs and felt the holy energy of the two Excalibur getting closer. I entered the clubroom to find everyone there minus Valerie and Yumi who stayed home.

"Good, so we're all here," said Rias who was at her desk with a serious expression.

I looked over to find Xenovia and Irina sitting on one of the couches, Irina with her hood down. She waved at me with a smile. Behind her, against the wall, Kiba was glaring over at Xenovia's sword with a fierce expression that I hadn't seen in a while.

"So, I guess I'll start," began Irina, looking towards Rias. "Recently, the Excaliburs held by the Catholic Church HQ: the Vatican, the Protestant Church, and Eastern Orthodox Church were stolen."

"Which ones were stolen," I asked, curious since this time _I_ owned Excalibur Rapidly.

"That's none of your business," said Xenovia in a harsh tone.

"Sorry, Ise-kun, but we can't tell you that. I don't mind telling you about my Excalibur, though," said Irina, smiling, as she untied a rope around her waist. She held the rope at arm's length and it morphed into a slender sword. "It's called Excalibur Mimic. It can transform into anything I want so it's easy to travel with, unlike my partner's."

"Irina, should you be telling these devils the ability of your sword?" asked Xenovia, sounding annoyed.

"Ara, Xenovia, even if they are devils we still have to form a trustworthy relationship with them. Especially in this situation. Either ways, none of the devils here feel strong enough that revealing my sword's abilities would make me fall behind," said Irina, sounding cocky.

"So, what do the stolen holy swords have to do with us or this far eastern country?" asked Rias with attitude.

"The Catholic Church was in possession of two Excalibur including mine, the Protestant Church had two including Irina's, and the Eastern Orthodox Church had one. One went missing in the previous war while another was lost during the attack on the Holy Sword Project some years back," explained Xenovia. "One sword was stolen from each church and the thief fled to Japan. We've tracked him to this town for reasons we don't know."

"*sigh* Why must my territory be so full of incidents? Anyways, do you know who stole them?" asked Rias.

"The Fallen Angel organization, the Grigori," said Xenovia, simply. Rias' eyes widened and she gawked.

"The _Grigori_? That's strange, but if anyone would steal them, the Grigori would be the thieves. The Excalibur don't interest the higher ups on the devils side," said Rias, going into thought.

"We know the main culprit, too. Kokabiel," continued Xenovia.

"Kokabiel…so that war-mongering Cadre of the Grigori is behind this. I never expected to hear the name of someone who appeared in the Bible," said Rias, still in thought.

"We've been trying to get the swords back for a while now but all our priests and exorcists keep getting killed. They've finally sent us in as a last resort," explained Xenovia.

"And you're here for what? Cooperation?" asked Rias, curious.

"Our request, no, the _order_ we were given was to not allow any devils to intrude in the conflict between us and the Fallen Angels. In other words, we're here to tell you not to interfere," said Xenovia, bluntly.

Ah~, I forgot how blunt Xenovia was. Rias is going to be pissed.

"Such rudeness. Didn't they teach you how to speak to those you're asking something from? And what is this? Do the higher ups on your side think we'd collaborate with those Fallen Angels? Perhaps we might team up with them and use the Excalibur for our own purposes?" said Rias, angrily.

"Our higher ups think that that's not impossible," said Xenovia.

Rias was pissed now. The aura around her was getting stronger and her eyes said that they better choose their next words carefully.

"If it comes down to it, we'll destroy you, too. Even if you _are_ the sister of a Maou," said Xenovia, not backing down.

"If you know that much then let me tell you something: I will never side with the Fallen Angels. I swear it on the name Gremory to never do anything that would humiliate the Maou," said Rias, seriously.

"Glad to hear it. Our HQ would be, too. I didn't believe that the sister of a Maou would be so foolish as to side with them," said Xenovia.

"You do know, however, that I have no intention to side with your side either, correct?" said Rias, calmer than before.

"Of course, we just want a pledge of non-intervention," said Irina, smiling.

"Understood," said Rias, the two Church girls getting up after hearing her.

"Thank you for your time. We shouldn't stay longer, lest some believe we're getting too friendly with devils," said Xenovia.

"True, good luck," said Rias before the two girls began to leave.

As they were leaving, Xenovia glanced over at Asia and I was reminded of this irritating part. Asia frowned, remembering it too. This was a darker part of the relationship between Xenovia and Asia.

"I've been wondering since we visited the house of Hyoudou Issei but…aren't you the witch Asia Argento?" asked Xenovia, irritating me. Even if it's Xenovia who doesn't remember yet, it pisses me off when people talk about Asia like that.

"E-Eh?" said Asia, pretending to be surprised.

"Eh~? Isn't she the ex-nun who was exiled for healing a devil? I thought it was bad what you did but I never thought you'd become a devil," said Irina, surprised.

"To think that a strong believer became a devil. Do you even still have faith?" asked Xenovia. Asia's eyes became a bit glassy as she remembered how she felt at that moment and Xenovia's eyes widened a bit. "You do? Then, please allow me to cut you down now. I'm sure that our Lord will forgive you if you repent in Purgatory."

Xenovia unwrapped her sword and pointed it towards Asia.

Oi, oi, Xenovia, you really were a bitch before you came to our side, you know?

"That's enough. I won't allow my servants to be belittled," said Rias, getting up from the couch.

"I'm not belittling her. As a person of faith, it's my duty to-," began Xenovia before being cut off by me. I shuffled past Koneko-chan, quickly, and stood in front of Asia and Xenovia.

"Issei-," began Rias, but I cut her off, too.

"Don't threaten Asia," I said, simply, but with some killing intent backing it.

"I wasn't threatening her, only offering relief from her guilt," said Xenovia, smiling at me.

"A person who talks about killing someone, for any reason, shouldn't be smiling about it," I said, darkly, causing Xenovia's smile to disappear.

"What do you plan to do about it?" asked Xenovia.

"This. AMSER!" I shouted, everyone in the room except Xenovia and I disappearing.

"What is this?" asked Xenovia, looking around.

"I created a special space separate from where we were. Everything in here is a copy of the clubroom. The only difference is that time doesn't move while we're in here," I said, simply. "It's an interesting spell I learned because I thought it might come in handy for talking in weird situations. I can't keep it up for more than a few minutes, though."

"Stopping time? I've only ever heard of pagan gods doing such a thing. Who are you really?" asked Xenovia, moving into a fighting stance.

"No one important. Ah, please brace yourself. Unlike gods and Maou, I can't keep these spaces open without some trouble. Although they have trouble when they keep it open for more than ten minutes at a time…well whatever. I have to release the seals on my power so I can be at 100% to keep this space open for the three minutes that I can manage," I explained. "I want to talk to you about something."

"What could you possibly-," began Xenovia before buckling to her knees as I released my full power. The space shook a bit but everything was relatively stable. Xenovia's reaction was normal for someone who wasn't expecting it. I think that when I was still in the original timeline, if Sirzechs-sama had done the same I would have reacted similarly.

"So?" I asked.

"S-So, what? Do you want me to tell you what I think of your power?" asked Xenovia, annoyed.

"Eh? Ah, no, I'm not some kind of bastard with a huge ego like some others that I know. I just wanted to know if you'll listen willingly now," I said, smiling. Xenovia nodded, hesitantly, but kept her fierce eyes on me. "Good. To begin with, I lied a little bit before, I'm the Sekiryuutei, Ddraig says I'm nearly the strongest."

"T-The Sekiryuutei? You mean the Red Dragon? So your incredible power is that of a dragon's…" said Xenovia before drifting. Her eyes focused and unfocused weirdly and I was a little concerned.

"Xenovia? Are you alr- geh!" I began before feeling a piercing headache.

EH? She recovered her memory from something like my being the Sekiryuutei? Or was it because I'm strong? I know Xenovia originally liked me because she wanted to make strong dragon babies but this is ridiculous!

"Ah, my head…Issei, what is going on? Where are we?" asked Xenovia, sounding confused. "Eh? Back in the clubroom?"

"What is the last thing you remember, Xenovia?" I asked.

"Well, I remember being off on a mission with Irina and Rossweisse and Gasper while you and the other club members went to deal with your Mid-class promotion exams. After that…it seems like I had a bit of a reset. I remember memories that should be older than the ones I mentioned but they seem…newer? My most recent memory is that terrible memory of those nasty things I said to Asia," explained Xenovia, frowning now.

"So, after the promotion exam, we were attacked by Shalba who was still alive. He used a powerful anti-dragon poison and I died. Ophis helped me and went back in time and put my soul in my younger self's body and I've been training ever since. I accidentally triggered your old memories so now you have them back," I explained.

"I-I think I understand but, you died? By that bastard Shalba?" asked Xenovia, her eyes a mix between fury and grief.

"I'm alright now, Xenovia, so don't worry about it," I said putting a hand on her shoulder. She smiled at me with a softer expression than I expected from her and she began to stand back up.

"This incredible power I feel from you must be the results of your training," said Xenovia, grinning at me. "Our babies are going to be strong."

"*sigh* Can't believe those kinds of thoughts are probably what triggered it. Anyways, this space is almost expired, when we get back, events should happen the same way as before, though we don't need to spar now that we reached an understanding. You and Irina can just leave normally," I explained before making some magic circles appear all over me.

"What are those for?" asked Xenovia.

"To reseal my power. I'm trying to keep it mostly under wraps until a majority of the club members get their memories back," I said. Xenovia nodded and I resealed my power before breaking the space. Time resumed right from where it had stopped, though Xenovia and I were in different positions, confusing most there.

"Issei, did you do something?" asked Rias, suspicious.

"Nothing bad. Xenovia wants to leave now, though," I lied, trying to be smooth about it. Rias eyed me suspiciously but let it go as Xenovia turned to leave.

"Come on, Irina. We should begin our search," said Xenovia, receiving a nod from Irina.

"Bye again, Ise-kun~! See you soon," said Irina, waving as the two girls left.

After they were gone, Rias sighed and leaned back in her chair, taking in what they had told her as well as having an irritated expression from my not telling her what I did. After a few minutes, Kiba clicked his teeth and began walking towards the door. Rias didn't react immediately, but when she caught a glimpse of Kiba's face, she stood up.

"Yuuto, wait. I will not allow you to leave the clubroom right now. You are the Gremory household's Knight," said Rias, sternly. Kiba stopped and was silent for a moment but he didn't turn back to Rias.

"Buchou, I'm sorry," said Kiba, bluntly, before walking out.

"Yuuto…!" shouted Rias after him. After he had slammed the door behind him, Rias' expression became complicated and she chewed on one of her thumb nails. After a moment of silence, she put on a somber expression. "Yuuto…you still can't…?"

I looked at Rias and I frowned. I'll have to give Kiba a good knock to the head for making Rias worry so much about him.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Oi, oi, are you insane?" said Saji, getting up prepared to leave. I grabbed him by the arm and put on a pleading look.

"Please, please! Just listen! Listen and if I can't convince you, you can go, okay?" I pleaded. He looked conflicted but he sat back down.

"I'm already getting the shivers thinking of what Kaichou would do to me if she found out I got involved with Holy Swords. On top of that, I don't like that blonde bishounen that captures all the girls' hearts!" shouted Saji, grudgingly.

"I know, I know, but please just help me destroy it! It would help a lot, I'm begging here," I said, lying a bit. I _did_ need Saji's help. Before I got strong as hell. But, Saji and I become friends after this incident and I'd like to continue that.

"Destroy it?! Hell no! Kaichou would murder me if I helped in something like that, you know?! Your master is strict but she shows her soft side to you guys, while my master is an ice cold strict woman! I'm out of here," said Saji before jumping to his feet and trying to run away. Just like last time, Koneko-chan caught Saji as he ran past her table.

"Ise-senpai thinks of strange things," said Koneko-chan before taking a bite of her giant sundae.

She and Saji came back to the table I was at and I explained to Saji the reason I wanted to do this, also telling him about Kiba's background. By the end of it, Saji was crying like a baby just like last time.

"*sniff* Uoohh~! Kiba, I didn't know you suffered like that in your past~! I can forgive your lady-killerness this time to help you with your suffering! I promise I'll be kind to you this one time!" said Saji in tears.

"That's nice, but you know Kiba isn't here, right?" I asked, sweat-dropping. Honestly, why are all my male friends so weird. I'm almost glad I didn't bring Matsuda and Motohama back into this insane life of mine.

"Ise-senpai, Xenovia-senpai is in _that_ situation, right? Will we find them the same way?" asked Koneko-chan, whispering enough that the sobbing Saji couldn't hear her.

"Ah, don't worry. I can use a communications magic circle. Since Xenovia has a hood on, Irina shouldn't see it," I said, before activating one next to my ear. I was right, though Xenovia did say it surprised her. We agreed to meet at the same family restaurant and Koneko-chan and I dragged Saji along. He finally stopped crying half way there.

* * *

"Now then," said Xenovia, acting like before. "I know you didn't treat us for nothing. What do you want?"

"Ah~, I feel violated to have been treated to food by a devil! Even if he is my childhood friend, I wonder if the Lord would forgive me?" said Irina, partly to herself, while she prayed.

"We want to help you destroy an Excalibur," I said, simply. Xenovia didn't react, though Irina snapped out of her prayer in surprise.

"Eh?" she said.

"Is it about the one who was glaring at us the whole time we were negotiating?" asked Xenovia, continuing to play along for Irina's sake.

"Yes. Kiba was one of the victims of the Holy Sword Project," I said.

"Eh~? That guy was? His hate for Excalibur must be deep then. If it wasn't for the Red Liberator Dragon, who knows how much longer those terrible experiments would have gone on," said Irina, causing my mouth to stretch out in a straight line. I remembered the incident when I earned that nickname from the Church. I hadn't explained what happened to anyone who recovered their memories since I've come back. I'm sorry Kiba and Yumi for not being able to save you _and_ all of your friends that time.

"So, what's the plan? Do you think him destroying one will do anything?" asked Xenovia.

"Well, I figure at least destroying one will ease his conscience at least a little," I said, simply. After a moment, Xenovia gave me a small half-smile.

"Alright, that's fine," said Xenovia, receiving an 'Eh?' from Irina. "Irina, our mission is to keep the Excalibur from remaining in the hands of the Fallen Angels."

"I know that, Xenovia, but should we really let these guys participate? I feel bad for their friend but not enough that I think they should-," said Irina before Xenovia cut her off.

"Irina, with one of the Cadre as our enemy, we have a 30% of surviving this after completing our mission, even with our back-up plan. Plus, your childhood friend is involved. I thought you'd be want to be with him more, even if he has become a devil," said Xenovia.

"Ah, well, I do want to catch up with Ise-kun but are you sure? We're not supposed to work with the devils," said Irina, concerned.

"But we're not teaming up with the devils. You guys are just a few that have gone against your master's orders to help your own, right?" asked Xenovia, grinning at us.

"Yeah. Our masters are gonna be mad when they find out what we're doing," I said, smiling back. Irina seemed to be at a loss for what to say so she simply pouted and leaned back in the booth. "So, if we're agreed, let's find Kiba and tell him about the plan. Ah, and if you guys know anything about the ones running that insane project, telling him might be good to take his anger away from your Excalibur. He probably hates the one who ran the project more than the swords themselves."

"Mm," said Xenovia in response before we left the restaurant.

* * *

It's been a couple days now since we met with Xenovia and Irina and then convinced Kiba. We were presently walking out in the night, 'we' consisting of me, Kiba, Koneko-chan, and Saji. We were dressed as priests, Koneko-chan as a nun, and were hoping to catch Freed's attention. Since he was out killing priests sent by the Church to recover the Excalibur, he would be looking out for those dressed as holy men.

Koneko-chan and I already knew how this was going to play out and followed Kiba to the abandoned factory where I defeated that rogue devil.

"Stop," said Kiba, seriously, while putting out a hand. His eyes squinted before looking straight up and manifesting a demonic sword. "Here he comes."

We looked up and saw the crazed rogue Exorcist leap off the top of the factory.

"Hiyahahahaha! Lookie here, some shitty priests!" shouted Freed as he pulled out his Excalibur. "Die for me, 'kay?!"

He swung his sword down on Kiba, but Kiba deflected his attack, launching Freed away from him. Freed landed on a walkway cover nearby, grinning while licking his lips like a crazy person.

"Ohohoho~! It's that freakin' kid from the other day? And what's this? The midget and the shitty devil that caused me so much annoyance before?! Tell me, how is that retarded nun?" asked Freed, glaring over at me, specifically. "And here I thought I'd just be hunting priests all night! Oh, how wonderful that would have been~! Ah, but don't get me wrong, killing some shitty devils will still give me a rush!"

"Yuuto-senpai, careful," said Koneko-chan as she moved into a fighting stance.

"I know," said Kiba, glaring at Freed.

"I'll contact Xenovia and Irina," I said, a magic circle appearing by my ear.

"Make no mistake, Freed, I'm your only opponent," said Kiba before launching himself upward.

"Kiba!" shouted Saji, sounding concerned. He looked over at me and could see my focused eyes keeping track of Kiba's movements. If Kiba gets in trouble, I'll step in, but I'd like to leave him to it for now.

"Xenovia," I said after my magic circle connected. "We found Freed. He's wielding Excalibur Blessing. It would probably help him exorcise us so we will try to deal with him quickly."

 _"Got it. Irina and I will come to where you are now,"_ said Xenovia from the other side. I hung up the communications circle after that and watched the fight between Kiba and Freed. Since Freed didn't have Excalibur Rapidly but instead Excalibur Blessing which had been a lost Excalibur fragment in the original timeline until Heaven found it later on, he wasn't going to be able to keep up with Kiba's speed as well as last time. Kiba won't be able to defeat him, though, if he keeps carrying the weight of all of those at that cursed church.

"That guy's speed is a problem, right?" began Saji after watching the fight for a minute or two. "After all, Kiba is a knight, so he should have an advantage in speed. I can slow him down."

"You can?" I asked, pretending not to know anything.

Saji nodded and yelled out 'Absorption Line' before his Sacred Gear manifested on his hand. He shot out a glowing line that wrapped around Freed's ankle, knocking him down.

"What the fuck is this?" said Freed before trying to cut it with the Excalibur. "Are you shitting me?! I can't cut it?! Shit, it must be a dragon-based Sacred Gear!"

"Haha! Yes, you won't be able to cut my line so easily! And while you struggle, I'll suck away all your energy!" shouted Saji, confidently.

"Although I did not want any help, it's too late now. Thank you, Saji!" said Kiba before stabbing his sword into the roof of the factory where he and Freed were fighting. "Sword Birth!"

Swords grew out of the ground, getting closer and closer to Freed. In a panic, Freed slashed away at the swords, trying to keep from getting skewered, but you could see that Saji was sapping a lot of his energy.

"Sword Birth…" said a voice from one of the doorways at the front of the building.

"Who's there?!" shouted Kiba, getting defensive and stopping his Sword Birth.

An old man wearing a priest get-up came out on the front of the factory, ignoring Kiba's question and walking towards Freed.

"Freed, it seems that you still haven't mastered the holy sword's power if you're struggling against such a low-level Sacred Gear," said the man.

"Oh~, if it isn't old man Valper! Won't you give me some tips to help me slaughter these fucking devils?" asked Freed, looking irritated.

"Valper? As in…Valper Galilei?!" shouted Kiba, fire burning in his eyes.

"Indeed I am, though I don't know or care who you are," said Valper, causing Kiba's expression to become even angrier. "Freed, if you concentrate your will into the blade, you should be able to cut that Sacred Gear like butter."

"Oh~?" said Freed before doing just that. The power of the holy sword increased and he easily cut Saji's Absorption Line just as told. "I see, I see. This thing is pretty fucking cool, isn't it?"

"Tch," said Kiba before pulling his blade out of the ground. Freed grinned at him and leapt at him, laughing maniacally. Just before their blades clashed, Xenovia appeared in between them and blocked Freed's blade, surprising Kiba.

"Ehhhh~~? Who the _hell_ are you?" asked Freed as he increased his Excalibur's power. Xenovia pushed back against his sword, glaring.

"Rebels Freed Sellzen, Valper Galilei, both of you shall be punished in the name of our Lord," shouted Xenovia, pushing back against Freed harder.

"You bitch! Don't you blurt out shitty words like that in front of me!" shouted Freed, angrily. Before anything could progress between their fight, Kiba leapt in and swiped at Freed who just narrowly escaped it and leapt back. He landed on the ground next to Valper.

"Freed," began Valper causing Freed to glance over at him. "Your mission was to kill any priests who came around, but the situation has changed. Two experienced Excalibur wielders isn't something you can handle yet."

"Okie dokie, old man. We'll go for now, then," said Freed before pulling a button off his jacket. He threw it down, causing a bright flash of light. I saw through it using ki, only squinting at the bright light, and watched the direction they went.

Once the light was gone, Kiba and Xenovia clicked their teeth in sync.

"Irina, we have to go after them," said Xenovia before running off, Kiba running alongside them.

"Let's go," I said to Koneko-chan and Saji.

I created an illusion behind us so the arriving Rias and Sona-kaichou wouldn't notice us as we left, and we chased after the three who left.

* * *

We lost track of the group after some time since Koneko-chan and I hadn't actually experienced the route they had taken. I asked Saji to return and gave him a story to tell Sona-kaichou in hopes that he wouldn't have to suffer. Koneko-chan decided to go back as well, since both of us missing classes that morning would have been suspicious.

I stopped along the way and used ki to scan the town for them. Since I had never really gotten used to tracking Kiba, Xenovia, or Irina's energy up until now, I had a particularly hard time. I should probably get used to their energies so I can track them better. It's going to end up being important later on.

It was almost sunset when I finally felt a familiar energy. Irina's. I ran across the rooftops, hiding myself with magic, and made it to a dirt path on the outskirts of town. Irina laid unconscious on the ground, injured, and I looked over her with concern. I created a magic circle by my ear and called Rias.

 _"Hello?"_ said Rias, wondering who it could be.

"Buchou, it's me," I said, prepared for a tongue lashing.

 _"Issei?! What are you doing not only missing classes but the club meeting? You worried me, you know? Akeno didn't know anything and Koneko didn't know where you were,"_ said Rias, sounding worried.

"Sorry, Buchou, I was keeping an eye on our visitors. Irina, the one that is my childhood friend is here where I am, unconscious and injured. Can you please come with Asia to heal her?" I asked.

 _"Issei, you know I can't…"_ began Rias. I knew she didn't want to help. Time to bring out the big guns.

"Buchou, at some point Kiba got involved. The one behind the Holy Sword Project appeared and he lost it and went after them. I lost track of him and Xenovia," I explained.

 _"What?! Yuuto did…?! We'll be there in five minutes. I won't stay out of this any longer if that person is involved,"_ said Rias. I responded with a simple 'Ok' and hung up the magic circle. Within the five minutes, she arrived by magic circle just like she said, brining Koneko-chan, Akeno, and Asia along with her.

"Asia," I said, causing Asia to run over. She began healing Irina, looking over her friend worriedly, though hiding it from Rias.

"Ise-kun…" said Irina after a moment of healing.

"Irina, where are Kiba and Xenovia? Who did this to you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"They…escaped…we underestimated…his strength…" began Irina.

"Whose strength?" I asked.

"Be careful…Ise…-kun," said Irina before passing out again. My lips formed a line on my face in annoyance. No matter how much time passes, I'll always be the same. I can't watch my comrades be in pain or suffer.

While Asia continued to heal Irina's injuries, Sona-kaichou, Tsubaki-san, and Saji appeared via magic circle.

"Is she alright?" asked Sona-kaichou after running up to us and looking over Irina.

"I-I've healed her but Twilight Healing can't restore her energy," said Asia as she finished healing the last wound.

"We have equipment in our base to help her. Tsubaki, please take her," said Sona-kaichou. Tsubaki-san nodded and picked up Irina before disappearing through a magic circle.

"Where did Kiba and Xenovia go then?" asked Saji, walking up to me.

"I'm not sure, I lost track of them. Irina didn't know either," I said, thinking. It was around here, wasn't it? Where we first met Kokabiel?

"That isn't good then. What do you plan to do, Rias?" asked Sona-kaichou.

Before Rias could respond, we felt a powerful holy energy suddenly appear from the trees next to us and a familiar face walked out.

"Freed!" I shouted, annoyed by his ugly face.

"Heeheehee! So nice to see you all again! Ara? Oh look! It's Asia-chan~, that fuckin' girl ended up becoming a shitty devil, too?! I'll get so much fun from killing her now!" shouted Freed, crazily. Rias and Sona-kaichou held up their hands and created large magic circles, aimed at him. "Eh? Wait, wait, wait! I'm not here to fight…yet. I have a message, from Boss-chan."

"What is it?" asked Rias, glaring. Freed simply grinned and pointed upward, causing us to look up just as the sky morphed.

"A separate space?" I said.

"And the Fallen Angel who created it," said Rias, seriously, bringing my attention to a single Fallen Angel in the sky.

"And it's not just any Fallen Angel, but one who has ten wings. He's Cadre-class," said Sona-kaichou, glaring up at him.

"I believe this is our first encounter, daughter of the Gremory," said the Fallen Angel. "My name is Kokabiel."

Damn, I had forgotten how crazed Kokabiel looked with his glowing red eyes and shark teeth.

"Good day, Mr. Cadre-level Fallen Angel, my name is Rias Gremory. To what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Rias.

"Such a beauty you are. A crimson haired one at that. Ugh, you and your brother are such an eyesore, I want to puke," said Kokabiel.

"Your disgust aside, for what reason have you come to visit us? You with your high status," said Rias, her annoyance visible on her face.

"I was just thinking of going all out in this city; your stronghold, that Kuoh Academy, being at the center of it all," said Kokabiel, simply.

"Our stronghold? Why…?!" said Rias in surprise.

"If I can destroy his sister's precious base of operations, maybe even kill a few of your servants, even that Sirzechs would be forced to take action. I've missed war so much, you know," said Kokabiel, grinning down at us.

"That would just spark out a war among the three powers all over again," said Rias, glaring at him.

"Ahaha…well, I thought the Church would have tried a little harder after I stole the Excalibur, but all they sent were a few Exorcists and a couple Excalibur wielders. Too dull if you ask me. I wanted something a little more exciting," explained Kokabiel.

"You're just as war-mongering as the stories tell," said Sona-kaichou, adjusting her glasses.

"Hehe, well, it just got so damn boring after the last war ended, I wanted to spice things up. With Azazel and Shemhazai being against war, you see the lengths I have to take," said Kokabiel.

"You're a complete war freak," said Rias, angrily.

"Thank you for the compliment. Honestly, though, bringing the devils in would be so easy. After all, Rias Gremory, sister of the current Lucifer and Sona Sitri, sister of the current Leviathan, are here using the same place as a base. All I'd have to do is destroy that and it's sure to cause ripples all the way back to the Underworld. If not, killing you two would," said Kokabiel before letting out a power laugh.

"Hiyahahaha! This is why I love this Boss-chan! He's just as war crazy as I am! Hahahaha!" laughed Freed, shaking in anticipation.

"Now then, to begin the war!" shouted Kokabiel before creating a flash of light in the sky, bright enough that even I had trouble.

When we could see again, he and Freed were gone.

"They've probably gone to the academy," said Sona-kaichou.

"Let's go," said Rias, before creating a magic circle below us.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **First off, I forgot to mention, thanks for letting me know about the inconsistency with Koneko still being around last chapter after being retired, that's what I get for writing it in multiple sit downs.**_

 _ **Anyways, I skipped some of less interesting parts of the canon where Rias and Asia fought over Ise and stuff since that would have been identical to the canon and a waste of time to write. As for the rest, I tried to make most of the stuff that was close to the same as the canon more interesting since Issei is obviously different now, though I DID slip in some stuff to show it's still Issei.**_

 _ **Now then, please, PLEASE Review on how you guys like this part and if you like where it's going. I already have the next chapter planned out (it's going to run through the entire fight and possibly some aftermath) but I don't want to go hard if you didn't like the way something was portrayed.**_

 _ **Also, another note: I am going to put up a kind of information sheet after the next chapter that is going to give and organize a lot of information about stuff I've revealed in the past. Things like proper explanations on everyone's new powers, who and how people have recovered their memories, and I might even give some info on easter eggs I put into previous chapter that you guys missed. Let me know if you don't want that last one.**_

 _ **Anyways, I plan to get the next chapter out in the next week and a half or so, so until next time...byeee :D**_


	33. Volume 3 Life 9

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I finished the new chapter a bit faster than expected but I forgot to post it after xD**_

 _ **Anyways, here's the entire fight with Kokabiel. I didn't continue past it because I think I ended it really well. Well, I'll let you guys be the judge.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.9**

After arriving at the school, we found that Sona-kaichou's peerage were racing out to the outer edges of the school area, probably to put up a barrier to protect the surroundings and hide the fight.

I hope they make it strong enough…

"Rias, are you not going to contact your brother?" asked Sona-kaichou, seriously.

"Onii-sama…what about your sister? She's a Maou, too," countered Rias. Sona-kaichou put on a complicated expression and I knew she was thinking of that strange sister of hers.

"That's…complicated," said Sona-kaichou.

"Rias, I've taken the liberty of contacting Sirzechs-sama," said Akeno, walking over.

"Akeno…? Why would you do that? We can-," began Rias before being cut off.

"Rias, I know you don't want to bother Sirzechs-sama, but this is a leader-class Fallen Angel. Although Ise will be able to deal with him, it will become very complicated if someone of higher rank isn't here to strike the final blow," explained Akeno, seriously.

That's true…it's my one great fault. I don't have any real authority so I have to be _extra_ careful with who I defeat and how. Although I do have some allies in pretty high places, like Sensei, Michael, Yasaka-san, and even Artemis who likes Yumi a lot; it is still better to let the higher-ups deal with the political situations. All I'm really good for is fighting.

"*sigh* My servants can be so strict sometimes…Fine, I'll bother Onii-sama this time," said Rias, smiling in defeat.

"Maou-sama's forces will be here in an hour," said Akeno, smiling, happily. She threw me a quick glance and I nodded.

I'll have to make sure that Azazel-sensei deals with Kokabiel before the hour is up like last time.

* * *

We were waiting now inside the main school building for the enemy to show up. They were taking longer than Rias expected so she decided to begin giving out orders.

"Alright, to begin with, we need to deal with Yuuto. We should, at the very least help him to deal with Galilei. After all, that man basically ruined our comrade's life. Although Yuuto might be happy to be with us, he lost a lot due to that man, so we should help him however we can. Koneko, please support Yuuto," said Rias.

"Yes, Buchou. I'll help Yuuto-senpai," said Koneko-chan with an eager look in her eyes.

"Akeno, you will be defending Asia and I while we get control of the battlefield. We don't know what other forces the enemy has aside from Galilei, Freed, and their leader Kokabiel. Until we know what we're up against, I'll need your help," said Rias, receiving a nod in response from Akeno. "Asia, you should be ready to heal at a moment's notice. When you are, just focus and we'll protect you."

"Yes, Onee-sama!" said Asia, confidently.

"Issei…" began Rias, looking over at me. "Make sure you do as Akeno said before."

"Yes, Buchou!" I shouted in response.

In all honesty, if Kokabiel gets serious, I might have to, too. Leader-class Fallen Angels like him are dangerous. If he's anything like the Fallen Angels just below Sensei then I'll need to be careful. Honestly, Leader/Maou- and god-class beings are so powerful I wonder how I've been able to get to this level in only a decade.

"Now, then, Sona and her peerage are putting all they have into the barrier just in case things get crazy out there so we should-," said Rias before a magic circle appeared off to the side of me. "Whose crest is that?"

I glanced over at the crest on the bluish-purple magic circle to find the symbol of Artemis on it.

After a moment, someone came out of the magic circle, that person being Yumi. She was dressed in full battle gear and I looked over her, worriedly.

"Yumi…" I said, half worried and half wondering why she had suddenly came.

"U-Um…I'm here to participate in the fight," said Yumi, her face not very confident. Rias looked her over, taking note of her dark ninja-like outfit, wooden bow, and quiver.

"Your motives?" asked Rias, seriously.

"I…" said Yumi, grabbing fistfuls of her clothes. "I…didn't want to get very involved. Although Kiba has a deep grudge against the Holy Sword Project, I mostly wanted to forget about it. The only thing I really wanted to think about was the person that Issei told me had survived. I'm…almost afraid of Excalibur because of what happened, Issei knows not to take out his while I'm around. I decided, though, that I won't run anymore. I need to be there for Kiba so we can move on together…so…So I want to fight alongside him, and you all, to defeat the one who hurt us."

I smiled, sadly, at Yumi for a moment because I knew that that part of her life was one she wanted, badly, to forget. I glanced over at Rias who I found had the same understanding expression I did and she nodded.

"Understood. You'll go with Koneko. Work hard with Yuuto," said Rias, receiving a nod of relief from Yumi.

I reached over and grabbed Yumi's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled at me; a smile softer than her normal personality would allow.

Before anything else could happen, we felt a surge of energy nearby; over by the track area of the school grounds.

When we looked outside, we saw a pillar of light going into the sky and I remembered what was happening. They were combining the Excalibur.

Rias turned to run outside and all of us followed.

"What is that?" said Rias once we were all outside.

"It seems the four Excalibur have been made into one," said a voice from above us. I looked up and could see Kokabiel sitting in an enormous, decorated throne floating in the air. "So…is it Sirzechs? Or Serafall?"

"We're here in their place. I hope you don't mind," said Rias, confidently.

Without changing his crazed, smiling expression, Kokabiel formed a spear of light in his hand and Akeno and I moved in front of Rias to protect her. Kokabiel turned the spear and threw it down at the gym, decimating it.

Akeno had put up her shield around us to block the wind and debris.

"Oh~, that's a nice shield made of light, daughter of Baraqiel," said Kokabiel. "This is boring, though. Ah, but I guess a little diversion can't hurt. After all, an appetizer is always good before the main course."

"Dangerous," said Koneko-chan, releasing her cat ears and tail in anticipation.

"Tch, it just had to be an enemy like this one, didn't it?" said Rias, glaring over at where Kokabiel's light spear had hit.

[Man, the guys who survived the war of the three factions sure are dangerous,] said Ddraig. I glanced down to see the glowing circle on my left hand and grinned.

"Been napping, Partner?" I asked as I looked back up.

[Eh? No, I've just been waiting. You've had a lot to deal with. I've been bored, though,] said Ddraig, making me chuckle.

"Well, why don't you watch this exciting battle then. To start with, though, how much do you think Kaichou's barrier can handle?" I asked, wondering how much I needed to hold back.

[Partner, remember that this guy is someone who could fight with a Maou. You shouldn't hold back much. You got lucky last time because of the intervention so you never got to see his full power, but Kokabiel isn't someone to play with,] said Ddraig, causing me to sigh. Always looking out for me, eh Partner? [Anyways, I think the barrier can handle anything as long as you don't throw anything crazy at it. Just make sure you don't miss.]

"Hehe, will do," I said, grinning again.

"Well then, since you've come all this way, why don't I have you play with my pet!" shouted Kokabiel before a beam of fire shot down into the ground. From the fire came a shadowy fire and, when the fire dissipated, I could see a black, three-headed dog.

"Cerberus! How did you get a hold of something like that?!" shouted Rias in surprise. Kokabiel merely laughed in response and Rias gritted her teeth in annoyance. "Tch, to let something like the Watchdog of Hades roam around the human world…Akeno, Koneko!"

"Yes, Buchou!" said Akeno and Koneko-chan in unison.

The three girls leapt out at Cerberus and I watched, Asia and Yumi standing behind me.

Akeno released her Fallen Angel wings and released lightning from one hand and ice magic from the other, both hitting Cerberus in his side. The giant dog hissed in pain and turned two of his heads in her direction before breathing fire at her. She activated her shield but the powerful flames pushed her back a ways.

While it was distracted with Akeno, Koneko-chan weaved in between its legs and threw out ki-powered kicks, knocking it off balance just after it released its flames on Akeno. Before it could get up, Rias shot out a series of balls of Destruction, but her attacks were blocked by flames that came out from one of the heads of Cerberus. She clicked her teeth and flew around to a different angle, Akeno moving in sync with her but in the opposite direction. While the two girls moved, Koneko-chan took hold of Cerberus two hind legs and held them firm against her body to slow down his getting up. Akeno released some more lightning at Cerberus, this time in his three faces. She also used ice magic to seal up its mouths to prevent another fire attack.

Before anything else could happen, I heard Yumi readying her bow and turned around to find a large circle of flames on the ground. From the flames came another Cerberus and I sighed. I had forgotten that there were more than one.

The second Cerberus roared out at us and shot out flames from its middle head, but it was blocked by one of Yumi's holy arrows. She quickly fired off several more arrows, most hitting the Cerberus in its faces and even taking out an eye on two of its heads.

Just as I was getting ready to blast it away, it's only uninjured head was suddenly sliced off and I grinned.

"I've come to provide back."

"Xenovia!" I shouted, happily. I was wondering when she would show up.

With another powerful slice through Cerberus' middle, she had destroyed that Cerberus using her Excalibur's ability.

Just afterward, Rias released a huge number of balls of Destruction on the first Cerberus who was unable to stop them due to being held down by Koneko-chan and whose mouths were sealed shut by Akeno's ice magic.

The balls of Destruction rained down, destroying him and he disappeared in a puff of flames like the other one.

The girls came over to where I was, Asia, Yumi, and Xenovia already here.

"I wish we hadn't needed your help but things would be difficult with so few of us," said Rias, grinning.

"Then please allow me to assist as well," said a voice. I turned to find Kiba falling and landing next to us.

"Yuuto!"

"Kiba-san," said Rias and Asia, respectively.

"Buchou…" said Kiba, seriously.

"Afterward. We have a fight on our hands," said Rias, smiling at him. Kiba grinned and nodded before manifesting a demonic sword.

"Hm, hm…that wasn't too bad," said Kokabiel, watching us with an interested look in his eyes.

Rias glared up at him and released an enormous, dragon-like mass of Destruction.

"Take this!" shouted Rias before releasing it at Kokabiel. It flew at high speed at him, but Kokabiel just grinned and waved it off with a finger, blasting it away into the base of the main school building. There it left a gaping hole in the ground, shocking Rias.

"Not strong enough. Maybe you should borrow some power from the Red Dragon Emperor. I hear he can transfer some of his power to others," said Kokabiel as he stood up. "This is interesting, though! The power of your team is greater than was known! One that can use ki, the daughter of Baraqiel suddenly using her powers of light! And even a boy with the rare Sacred Gear: Sword Birth!"

"It's complete!" shouted a voice from nearby. We looked over and, now that the gym was gone, we could clearly see Valper Galilei standing in the middle of a complicated looking set of magic circles. Above him, in the pillar of light, was a single sword floating in mid-air.

"Crap, we're too late!" shouted Xenovia, angrily.

"Good, now to use the immense power from that sword to destroy this puny town," said Kokabiel, grinning.

"You all should run away from here. This town will be destroyed in less than 20 minutes," said Galilei, a stupid smile on his face. "Only with more than half of the Excalibur fragments could I make this masterpiece!"

"If you want to protect this town, you'll have to defeat me," said Kokabiel before releasing his ten wings. "What will you do, Rias Gremory?!"

"That's obvious!" shouted Rias before releasing another mass of Destruction at Kokabiel. Kokabiel blocked it and held it with one of his hands while Akeno went behind him and released a powerful bolt of lightning, though he managed to catch that with his other free hand. He smashed the two together and fused them before launching the mass of energy at Rias.

"Buchou!" shouted Akeno before speedily moving in front of Rias and encasing them in her light shield. The energy launched the girls, while still inside the shield, down into the ground, creating a crater where they landed. "Unhh…he injected more power into that before hitting us…in that instant…?"

"Akeno!" I shouted as I ran to the crater. I stopped in front to find Rias, who had a bloodied shoulder, and Akeno who was cover in cuts and bruises.

"Ise, he's too much for me right now. I don't know if I can hold out until Sirzechs-sama gets here," said Akeno. I knew what she was saying. It's time for me to join in.

"Kiba?" said Yumi from off to the side. I glanced over and followed her eyes, catching sight of Kiba. He was walking over towards Galilei.

"Go, Yumi," I said, seriously, receiving a nod from her. I saw Koneko-chan follow, too, and then I turned to Asia. "Asia, please heal Akeno and Buchou. I'll deal with this."

"Yes, Ise-san," said Asia before coming over to heal them.

I looked over again to Kiba and Yumi, noticing that Galilei was closer to where we were now, and we had somehow moved further and further away from the school building where we had first started battling.

"Ah, so you'll fight next, Sekiryuutei? Well, a moment. I'm really interested to see what that boy does with all that hate in his body. Seeing as he is a survivor from that wonderful project, I'm interested to see what he does," said Kokabiel, grinning in delight as he watched Kiba.

Kiba made it to Galilei and, while hiding his eyes with his bangs, he frowned.

"Valper Galilei…I am a survivor…of the Holy Sword Project, or more accurately, of those you slaughtered," said Kiba, his voice cracking a bit on that last word.

"Hm?" said Galilei, looking interested.

"I've been reborn as a devil and, since I could not die, I will avenge the deaths of my comrades," said Kiba before looking up at Galilei, showing his vengeful eyes. Kiba moved into a stance before launching himself forward at Galilei.

Kokabiel suddenly formed a light spear and threw it at Kiba, surprising me.

"Kiba!" I shouted.

The spear hit the ground, exploding. As the dust cleared, I could see Galilei was being protected by some sort of shield, but Kiba and…Yumi?! They were both seemingly unconscious in a crater while Koneko-chan was on the ground a bit away from them covered in some scratches.

"So, he managed to avoid the worst of the damage after being saved by that girl. She's a quick little rat," said Kokabiel. "Well, I can't have you killing my precious tool just yet. Freed."

"Yes, boss?" said Freed, coming out from some bushes nearby. What the hell have you been doing?

"This is the final part of my little appetizer. Get rid of everyone here using the power of the combined Excalibur," said Kokabiel, grinning.

"Ara? I get to have fun slaughtering these devils with the cute Excalibur with super wonderful specs? SUPER!" shouted Freed, excitedly. He looked over at us with a crazy expression as he picked up the combined Excalibur and smiled. "Now…who shall I get rid of first?"

"Ugh…" groaned Kiba from the crater. I glanced over and saw Kiba getting up, though he was wobbly on his feet. "H-Huh? Y-Yumi…? Yumi, are you alright?"

"Unhh…" groaned Yumi. She twitched a bit before gasping and jumping to her feet, bow in hand. She looked around, disoriented, before realizing what happened. "K-Kiba, are you alright? You take more damage from light than I do so I thought…!"

"I'm fine, thank you. Please don't risk your life again for me, though. I'll be fine," said Kiba, looking over her worried.

"Kiba…! We're both a part of this. We're both survivors so we'll deal with our past together!" said Yumi, seriously. Kiba looked conflicted by her words but he gave her a soft smile before manifesting a demonic sword.

"I had heard that one of the subjects had gotten away but I didn't hear about another one surviving. And for one of them to become a lowly devil," said Galilei as he walked towards them, a condescending grin on his face. "I'm grateful, though. Because of all you stupid children, my project was finally completed."

"Complete?" said Kiba, confused.

"You children didn't have enough of the gene to use Holy Swords. Knowing that I was able to conclude that all I had to do was rip the gene out from all of you!" said Galilei, a crazed look in his eyes. Kiba's face became enraged at Galilei's words while Yumi covered her mouth in shock. "We crystallized them and this is where the last of them are!"

Galilei held up a bluish crystal filled with the genes of Kiba's fallen comrades and I gritted my teeth as I watched Kiba and Yumi on the verge of tears.

"Hiyahahaha! I'm the only one who was able to absorb the other gems full of genes! That makes me super-duper special, don'tcha think?!" shouted Freed before slashing at Xenovia who parried his attack.

"Tch, forgive Irina and I, Kiba. We didn't know at the time, but we're able to wield Holy Swords because of those crystals as well! I'm sorry!" shouted Xenovia, her eyes irritated by the memory of when she first found out.

I was watching everything transpire and I felt my anger boiling. I can't stand watching this situation unfold but I have to hold back until Kiba reaches Balance Breaker. That way things will be like before.

"Hahaha! So the church excommunicated me for my crimes but still used my research? Ah, well it was Michael who probably collected the genes so I'm sure he didn't kill anyone!" shouted Galilei while laughing.

"T-Then why kill us? It wasn't necessary, right?" asked Yumi.

"You all were just materials for my research! After I had collected the genes, what was the point in keeping you alive?!" said Galilei, laughing even more crazily now.

"T-Terrible," said Asia, crying as she continued healing Akeno and Rias.

"Yuuto…Yumi…" said Rias, sadly.

"So, we were just disposable materials?" asked Kiba, tears in his eyes while Yumi was already crying.

"Of course! But here," said Galilei before tossing the crystal at Kiba who caught it in a panic. "We've already gotten to the point where we can mass-produce higher quality ones. Take your precious _memories_."

Kiba looked at the crystal with a sad expression, Yumi moving towards him to look at it, too.

"Kiba, you should have it. You've suffered a lot more for this moment," said Yumi, sniffling. Kiba looked at her surprised but accepted it when she nodded to him. He closed his hands around the crystal and shut his eyes.

"Everyone…" said Kiba.

"You shitty old bastard!" I shouted, angrily. Got to let out some steam. Not yet. Not yet. Can't snap yet!

"Valper Galilei," began Kiba before the crystal began to glow a bright blue in his hands. "How many lives have you ruined solely for your own gain?"

"Hm?" said Galilei, confused.

"Isaiah…" said Yumi, crying again.

The souls from the crystal were being released and Kiba's comrades appeared beside him, all glowing blue. I recognized some of their faces, since the night of my biggest failure is burned in my memory.

"I used to wonder…about whether or not it was okay for me to be the only one alive. There were kids who had more dreams than I did…Kids who wanted more in life than I did…I wondered if it was okay for me to be the only one living a peaceful life. Then, Ise-kun reunited Ruth and I and I believed that it wasn't all for nothing…but, the looks on the faces of my comrades who died while I lived. Who suffered while I escaped, haunted me…" said Kiba, tears streaming down his face. It took him a moment, but he noticed the presence behind him and looked around, seeming the familiar faces. He looked at Yumi and then back again.

One of the souls, of a little girl, grabbed Kiba's sleeve and smiled at him. Her voice echoed in the air.

"Thank you…"

"Eh?" Kiba managed to choke out. The souls burst into particles of blue light and swirled around Kiba, causing him to look back and forth.

"…For always having us in your heart…"

"…For working hard for us who were no longer alive…"

"…Thank you…"

"…It's okay now…"

"…Even if God isn't watching over us…"

"…Our hearts will always be…"

"…One…"

"…Big Sis Ruth…"

"…Big Brother Isaiah…"

"…Thank you…"

"…Thank you…"

"…Our hearts will always be one…"

"…Big Brother…"

"…Our power…"

"…Will be one…"

"…Inside of you…"

And as the blue dots swirled faster and faster, I could see Kiba smile and mouth a single word. 'One'.

The swirl was absorbed into Kiba and his body glowed bright blue. He looked serene in that moment. Like he had finally let go of all his hate and anger.

I cried for my friend, as did Koneko-chan and Asia and Xenovia and Yumi.

[This is it. When the feelings of the possessor transcend everything else, the sacred treasure bestowed by God peaks. Balance Breaker,] said Ddraig.

The blue glow on Kiba faded and he put on a serious expression. He began to walk towards Galilei and Yumi quickly wiped her eyes before moving into a battle stance with her bow.

"My comrades did not wish for revenge," began Kiba before holding out his hand. "But I feel it is my duty, to at the very least make sure no one else suffers like we did."

Kiba manifested a demonic sword and held it pointed at the sky.

"Tch, Freed! Come and destroy this expired material!" shouted Galilei, angrily. Freed jumped away from Xenovia, laughing manically, and landed in front of Galilei, sword poised at the ready.

"Now, the power of all of our hearts! Mine, Yumi's, and all of our comrades! Let us fight together till the end of time!" shouted Kiba before his sword glowed. Waves of black and white energy encircled the sword, changing it so that half was dark and the other almost a glowing white.

"A sword of holy and demonic power! Witness the birth of my Holy-demonic Sword!" shouted Kiba while moving into a fighting stance.

"Kiba, Knight of Gremory, allow me to fight alongside you," said Xenovia after leaping next to Kiba.

"We're allied right now, aren't we?" said Kiba, smirking. Xenovia smiled and nodded before stabbing her Excalibur into the ground. "It's time to destroy that foul combination of Excalibur. Peter, Basilius, Dionysius, and the Blessed Virgin Mary-! Please hear my prayers and come to me! Holy Sword Durandal!"

A complex, white magic circle appeared next to Xenovia and Durandal came out, covered in chains. As soon as Xenovia grabbed the sword, the chains shattered and she swung the sword before moving into a fighting stance.

"That's-That's impossible! My research didn't touch upon Durandal. How could you…?!" said Galilei, shocked.

"That's because, unlike Kiba and Irina, I can naturally use this Holy Sword," said Xenovia, glaring.

"Tch! I don't care who you are or what that sword is! I'll kill you with my super-duper Excalibur!" shouted Freed before changing his Excalibur using the powers of Mimic. Four spears were launched from the sword, still connected, and came down on Xenovia. She sliced them up and Freed spat out a few curses. "I'll kill you, you fucker!"

Freed leapt at Xenovia, ready to slash but was countered by Kiba who blew him back with the power of his new Holy-demonic sword. Freed cussed and leapt back but Kiba didn't give him a moment before leaping at him again. They had a quick exchanged of hard hits but Kiba's sword was stronger. He slashed through the Excalibur, splitting it in two.

"Oh fuck!" shouted Freed before leaping back, his broken sword falling to the ground. "Shit! Beaten by some fucking low devil scum! No way!"

"Valper Galilei," said Kiba, ignoring the defeated Freed. "It's time for your finale!"

"W-What?! No, no! It can't be. An impossible sword has defeated my Excalibur! A lie it must be-!" shouted Galilei before suddenly being pierced by a spear of light.

Rias, Kiba, and Yumi were shocked by what happened while Xenovia and Koneko-chan glared up at Kokabiel who was flying down from his throne.

"You must be surprised, but I don't really care about that guy now that he's failed me. Anyways, I've grown bored again. Why doesn't someone strong fight me? What about you, Sekiryuutei? I heard you did well against that boy from the Phoenix clan," said Kokabiel, grinning over at me.

"Are you trying to give us some sort of chance? To survive until someone stronger comes along?" asked Rias, annoyed.

"You're a fool if you think any of you can defeat me, devil. Now, entertain me!" shouted Kokabiel, grinning.

"Damn…you're a crazy bastard, Kokabiel," shouted Xenovia, pointing Durandal at Kokabiel.

"We don't need to send Ise-kun to begin with," said Kiba, creating a second Holy-demonic in his free hand. He moved into a battle stance, glaring up at the enemy in the sky.

"Issei, I hope you don't mind me joining in, too," said Yumi, pointing her bow up at Kokabiel.

"Tch, damn small fry," said Kokabiel before forming a light spear. "I guess I'll start with those being healed. I think Sirzechs would love to see the splattered remains of his dear sister and her Queen when he arrives."

He pointed and threw the light spear at where Asia was finishing healing Akeno. Rias, who was healed, stood up and formed a magic circle, ready to block the attack. Before it could reach her, though, I was already in front of them.

Rias looked surprised, but I grinned and coated my right hand in a dense layer of ki. I held it out and the light spear hit the palm of my hand. It exploded out, away from us, and I grinned up at Kokabiel who looked shocked.

Then I hissed.

"Ah-! That burns! I guess my ki isn't strong enough to block all the light from a Cadre-class being," I said, blowing at the steam coming off my palm.

"You…even as the Sekiryuutei, you're still a devil. That light should have caused serious damage," said Kokabiel, no longer smiling.

"Ah, well it's not like I didn't try and figure out how to protect myself. You're really strong, though. No one's light has been able to affect me through my defenses. I've even grabbed Excalibur with my bare hands without being affected," I said, gloating a little. I didn't work my ass off to get insane defenses like this for nothing. My most glaring weakness is the fact that I can't block light damage since I'm a devil. Using ki is a great way to block it.

"You've interested me, _boy_. I wonder if you can take my stronger attacks with so little damage?" said Kokabiel, grinning again. He formed a bigger light spear above his head and was about to launch it before being interrupted.

"Hey! Did you forget about us?" shouted Xenovia, speeding across the field before leaping up into the air. Kokabiel sighed and swatted Xenovia away, blasting her into the ground, nearby.

"Xenovia-san!"

"Xenovia!" Asia and I shouted, respectively.

"Hiyaah!" shouted Yumi as she launched a powerful spirit arrow. Kokabiel glared over at her before swatting away the arrow. Kiba, however, had been hiding in its trail and he swung his two blades at Kokabiel. He was unfazed, though, by the supposed surprise attack and blasted Kiba away, shattering his two swords and launching him over into Yumi, both flying back near where Xenovia had landed.

"Pardon while I deal with the weaklings," said Kokabiel before forming another light spear in his empty hand.

He threw both down, one towards Koneko-chan and the other to where Xenovia, Kiba, and Yumi were. I gritted my teeth as I ran at full speed and launched myself up into the air.

"RAAAAHH!" I shouted as I punched one of the light spear. The spear deflected off my ki, knocking the other one off course. The two missed a direct hit, but the explosion did enormous damage to the battlefield. It had blown away and severely injured everyone who it was aimed at and even blew Rias, Akeno, and Asia away, though they weren't as hurt. "Everyone?!"

I didn't get a response from anyone except some pained grunts from Rias and Akeno who were struggling to sit up.

"Ahahaha! So you managed to prevent the worst case, but everyone's still injured! Those four I was aiming at look particularly bad. They might not make it if help doesn't come soon. Oh, but look, your precious healer is unconscious," said Kokabiel, laughing manically.

I. Was. Pissed.

"You…" I said, angrily.

"Huh?" said Kokabiel, no longer sounding amused.

I was releasing powerful aura now and Kokabiel was wary.

"Boosted Gear!" I shouted before my Sacred Gear appeared on my left arm. "Balance Breaker!"

[Boosted Gear: Scale mail!]

My armor manifested on my body and I twitched a bit. My ki was crimson now, powered up from my draconic power and I wasn't planning to hold back. I flew up with my dragon wings so we could look each other in the eye.

"So, we can battle properly, now that the trash is taken care of," said Kokabiel, still goading me. "I have a strange feeling, though. I feel like taking it easy with you would be dangerous. _Very_ dangerous."

"You should be afraid. I'm going to beat the crap out of you for hurting my comrades and threatening my town," I said, angrily.

"Heh…then it seems I'll have to go all out. I can't even remember the last time I had to use this," said Kokabiel, confusing me. He threw off his coat and flexed. "Cloak: Activate!"

Kokabiel shouted that and suddenly his whole body was covered in a bright, white light. The light looked like it was in the shape of armor, even something looking like a helmet formed on his head.

"Hehehe, I'm not called the 'star of God' for nothing," said Kokabiel, chuckling. He did look like a star if he spread his limbs out but who cares about that! You bastard! So you were holding back this much when we fought the first time? My win against him seems like such a fluke!

[Most of your wins until that Bael guy were flukes, though, weren't they, Partner?] asked Ddraig.

Uooooo! You bastard, partner of mine! How could you say something so mean?! I worked hard in those fights, you know?!

"Here I come, Sekiryuutei!" shouted Kokabiel before flying towards me. I readied my fists, covered in my stronger crimson ki. He formed two light swords in his hands and slashed at me. I dodged the first slash and blocked the second with my ki, the block shattering the light sword. Kokabiel hissed and instead went for a punch, hitting me in the gut. I managed to cover it with ki, but it wasn't thick enough and I took some damage. It wasn't enough to make a difference but I guess it shows Kokabiel hasn't survived on luck.

"Take this!" I shouted before gulping in a lot of air. I ignited a flame in my belly and Boosts echoed out before I released the flames. "Great Fire Breath!"

The enormous flames covered half the sky and Kokabiel was hit at practically point blank range. I ended up having to cut my attack short when I saw glowing eyes appear in the flames and I flew back to narrowly avoid two slashes from light swords.

Kokabiel appeared from the smoke, he himself smoking a bit.

"Such power! If it weren't for my incredible defenses, that would have done a lot of damage you know? Well, it hurt like hell, so I hope that makes you feel better," said Kokabiel, grinning at me. I glared and realized I'd have to bring out more power. This _is_ a leader-class being so I'll have to use more power than just a measly 40%.

"Ddraig, we're going to up it to 50, okay?" I said before focusing my energy. I broke one of the seals on my power and I felt my crimson ki surge. My overall aura increased as well and Kokabiel's excited expression wavered as he felt my sudden jump in power. "I'm coming for you, Kokabiel!"

I released three consecutive Dragon Shots at Kokabiel, who dodged them swiftly, while I closed in on him. I released Ascalon from my left gauntlet, and threw a punch at him with the blade sticking out. He parried it away at the last moment with his light swords and looked at Ascalon, confused.

"W-What?! That's the famous dragon-slaying blade Ascalon! Where did you get that?" asked Kokabiel, shocked.

"That's none of your business!" I shouted before slashing at him. He blocked my attack with his two swords but I was close enough to hit him with a punch. I smashed my right fist, coated with ki, into his stomach and he coughed up blood. My punch launched him back and away from me, smashing into the ground below and forming a small crater.

"Ugh…Your power…it's different than before," said Kokabiel as he reformed his light armor. "I can still take you attacks but you're significantly stronger than before."

"I wonder how long I have to beat you down before your endurance starts to wear out," I said, mostly to myself.

"Hah…you'll have to try pretty hard! I've survived fights with your Maou!" shouted Kokabiel before forming a massive light spear above him. He launched it at me and I cussed before thickening the ki in my arms to block the attack.

The light spear exploded on impact, shaking the air around me. I groaned a bit, feeling that one. He hit me with a ridiculous amount of power there and, although I held up against the attack, my stamina and ki reserves took a hit. I'll need to do more meditating to get my ki back to full later on.

"Hoho! That one looks like it took something out of you," said Kokabiel, grinning.

Crazy bastard. I can't bring out my full power without breaking all my seals but I don't know if I'm ready to show my full power. It would no doubt cause problems if someone else found out about my full strength.

"Come on now! You can't defeat me and save all your precious friends if you hold back, you know? Or do you plan to let me kill you?!" shouted Kokabiel before going into a fit of laughs as he flew back up to my level.

"Fine then," I said, getting irritated with this crazy bastard. "I'll show you something almost no one here knows about."

And I did it. I released my crimson-hued angel wings. Kokabiel didn't look happy anymore.

"W…What are those…?" asked Kokabiel, shocked.

"What do you mean? Has it been so long you don't even remember what angel wings look like?" I asked, mockingly. "Ah, I guess the color's a bit off. Sorry, my dragon blood made them a little red. After all, I am the Red Dragon Emperor."

"You…This is impossible! You couldn't be a devil if you are an angel! Especially if you haven't fallen! Who the hell are you?!" shouted Kokabiel in shock.

I could feel Rias' eyes burning a hole in the back of my head and I sighed. I was going to get an earful after this secret.

"It's over, you crazy bastard," I said before lifting a hand in the air.

"What are you talking about? I'm far from beaten!" shouted Kokabiel, increasing the density of his light armor.

"Ddraig, 60%," I said, simply. I created a light spear above my head and grinned.

[Boost!]

[Boost!]

"No…" said Kokabiel.

[Boost! Boost!]

"No, no, no…"

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

"No you fucking don't!"

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

The spear above my hand was so massive, I was having trouble protecting my devil flesh from my own light. I didn't know how Akeno did it, but I could feel the enormous power of the light energy burning my hand through the armor but I clenched my teeth.

"Now! Compress!" I shouted. The enormous light spear was surrounded by a blue and white ring which forcefully compressed the light spear so it was much, much smaller than before but with the same power. The power was so concentrated, though, that my ki wasn't doing any good protecting me. I could feel my skin burning underneath my armor and it was almost unbearable. I pointed the spear at Kokabiel and he was frozen in fear at the enormous power I was wielding.

"Please…no…don't," said Kokabiel, floating back, away from me.

"For hurting my comrades, for causing us pain, and for threatening my town! Take this! Divine Javelin!"

I hurled the spear at Kokabiel and he screeched as the spear hit him, exploding with such force that it blew upward and shattered the shield that Sona-kaichou's peerage were maintaining. The shield faded away and I watched as a charred and defeated Kokabiel fell from the sky and hit the ground with a powerful thud.

His wings were mostly burned off and he was missing his left leg and right arm, both blown away in the explosion. He was still alive, I could feel just a small flame of life left in him, but he was down for who knows how long.

I flew down to find that Asia had woken up and was looking at my angel wings with surprise.

Ddraig, let's seal my power back up.

[Got it, Partner. Good job, but you should have your hand healed,] said Ddraig in a way that the others couldn't hear.

I put away my angel and dragon wings and released both my armor and Sacred Gear.

"*gasp* Ise-san! Your hand!" shouted Asia in shock before immediately tending to my right hand. I glanced over to my now numb hand to find that a lot of the skin on my fingers and hand had been burned to a crisp. I had red burns going down my arm, too. I didn't feel like the light was damaging my body but I really over did it. This is why I don't use light attacks often.

"We're talking about this later, Issei," said Rias, simply.

"Ise, you can talk with Rias after we have some alone time," said Akeno, smiling at me, seductively. No doubt she found my attack arousing. I wish I could be excited about that but, once Asia started working on my hand, I could suddenly feel the intense pain in my hand.

"Oi, oi, were you _trying_ to kill him, said a familiar voice from nearby, causing Rias to tense up.

We looked up to find a Fallen Angel floating down in the moonlight before landing next to Kokabiel.

"You're…!" said Rias, shocked.

"Rias! Are you all alright? The barrier broke and-," shouted Sona-kaichou as she ran over with her peerage before realizing who was here. She froze while her peerage moved into a defensive position around her. "Governor of the Grigori and leader of the Fallen Angels, Azazel."

"Ah, you recognized me quicker than I thought. Well, don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble," said Azazel-sensei, almost making me groan. He was going to harass Rias and Kaichou. I can feel it in my bones.

"Then to what do we owe the pleasure of meeting the great leader of the Grigori?" asked Rias, trying to keep her composure. Kokabiel showing up is one things, but the leader of the Fallen Angels showing up is probably the biggest red flag that can go off in her head right now.

"Ah, nothing, nothing. I just came to deal with my double-crossing, shitbag of an associate here but it seems I was almost too late. Don't worry, though, you guys just helped me out by punishing him first. I'm still going to punish him with eternal freezing, though," said sensei, grinning. Sensei grabbed Kokabiel by what was left of his shirt and dragged him over to us, looking me over. "Hmmm…You might want to hurry up a bit with your healing. If you speed it up a bit, there shouldn't be any damage aside from a few scars on his hand. Keep up the good work, user of Twilight Healing."

"You seem interested in my servant?" said Rias, her eyes suspicious.

"I watched his fight against my associate and was impressed. I've also run into him a couple times. After all, he was good friends with my best friend, Baraqiel. Ah~, Akeno, your father sends his love. You should contact him. He wishes so much that you could at least tell him you're alright and happy," said Azazel-sensei, putting on a little show for Rias' sake.

"Thank you for letting me know," said Akeno, smiling.

"Alright, well, now that that's over with, I've gotta get going. Lots to do and all. *sigh* I can never get some peace and quiet," said Azazel-sensei before disappearing in a magic circle.

"…What just happened?" I said, confused by how awkward sensei was.

* * *

 ** _Later on…_**

"Ugh…to think I let myself get injured like this," said Kiba, groaning in pain.

"And I ended up being a worry to Issei even though I swore not to cause him problems," said Yumi, sounding sad but also in pain.

We were currently inside the infirmary at school and Asia was going around healing everyone. Asia had finished healing me after ten minutes, taking Azazel-sensei's advice to hurry, and I felt good as new, though my hand still felt pretty sore. Rias said she'd try to get me a Phoenix tear just in case Asia couldn't heal all the damage.

Kiba, Yumi, Koneko-chan, and Xenovia had woken up a little while ago after receiving first aid and Akeno and Rias, who had suffered minimal injuries, were sitting in chairs near the entrance covered in bandages.

Koneko-chan looked discouraged, probably since she didn't have a chance to do much this battle, but I think she did enough. Everything moved pretty fast. We even lost Freed who left while I was fighting Kokabiel.

"Yumi, you did great," I said, patting her on the head. She blushed and looked down, choosing not to answer.

Hey, I'm trying! You didn't get much of a chance, though. You're not exactly leader-class but you're strong! You just weren't in the right setting.

"Rias, can you please come over here," said Sona-kaichou after coming in, Tsubaki at her side.

"What is it, Sona?" asked Rias. Sona glanced over at me then back to Rias.

"I've received a message. Please come along. Alone," said Sona. Rias looked at her confused but nodded and followed her and Tsubaki out.

While we were alone, I moved to the other side of Yumi's bed, to get closer to Kiba.

"So, Kiba, you and Yumi finally got to move on, right?" I asked, hopefully. Yumi was one thing, but I hope Kiba moved on like before.

"Yes, thank you for your help, Ise-kun. If it wasn't for you and Yumi, I don't know what would have happened to me. Koneko, you as well. Thank you for worrying about me," began Kiba, receiving a small smile from Koneko-chan. "It's strange, though. I feel a bit of emptiness in me. I guess, now that all my rage and hatred is gone, I'll need to find a new purpose to my life."

I smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"You already have a purpose in life, buddy!" I said, grinning. He looked at me, puzzled, and I smiled wider. "Your purpose is to protect our master, Rias Gremory! After all, you're Rias Gremory's [Knight] and no one can replace you!"

I said those words while looking Kiba in the eye and I saw his eyes light up at my words. I meant them from my heart, but I never thought they were that important to Kiba.

"Agh!" shouted Kiba and I in unison.

"Ise-san? Kiba-san?" asked Asia, distracted from healing Yumi.

"Eh?" I said, confused. I looked up at Kiba and saw that his eyes were refocusing. After a moment, he glanced over at me and then around the room.

"Did he remember?" asked Akeno who was walking over to us.

"Ah, this is strange. What's going on, everyone?" asked Kiba, confused.

"Oh, good, Kiba remembered!" shouted Xenovia, grinning.

"Remembered? Wait, what's going on? I remember everything that happened recently but, why are we back in time…?" said Kiba, holding his head.

"Kiba, Ophis took me back in time 11 years because Shalba ended up killing me with Samael's Blood," I said, the girls in the room flinching at my words.

"What?" said Kiba, anger in his eyes. "So that bastard ended up killing you, Ise-kun?! I knew I should have stayed to fight alongside you. Even if it was dangerous, I should have-!"

"Kiba, relax. Ophis brought my soul back in time so I could try everything again. I've been training these 11 years and, as you can see, I've gotten a lot stronger. Just relax," I said, calmly. Kiba seemed to calm down after hearing that and he sighed.

"Just remember, Ise-kun: Just like I am Rias Gremory's [Knight] and no one can replace me, you, Rias Gremory's [Pawn], can't be replaced either," said Kiba, simply.

"Got it, buddy," I said, smiling.

"So, Issei, what now? Should I return and pretend I just learned about God's death? Kokabiel didn't end up revealing it since he was too busy with you," said Xenovia, curious.

"Yes. You have to be exiled again so that you can join Rias again. It's good that everyone's remembering, but I wonder when Rias will remember. I don't like having to lie to her…" I said, frowning.

"Lie about what?" said a voice from the doorway. I turned to find Rias there, looking pouty. "About all the powers that you're hiding from me? Or who trained you?"

"Ah…" I said, knowing where this was going.

"I guess I'll start with you then," said Rias before creating a magic circle in her hand and smiling at me, sadistically. "Yuuto will get his punishment later but for you, Issei, 100 spankings for all the lying."

EHHHHHH~~~~?!

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I tried to make the scene with Kiba and Yumi as emotional as I could since I remembered the scene being like that. Not sure what you guys think, though.**_

 _ **Review to let me know what you think!**_

 _ **Anyways, I am posting the info sheet after this chapter, so look out for that. The next chapter should be out in the next couple weeks. Until next time...byeee :D**_


	34. Info Sheet 1

**-=-=-=-=-=-WARNING-=-=-=-=-=-**

 **THIS PAGE INCLUDES SPOILERS OF PAST CHAPTERS**

 **IF YOU JUST SKIPPED AHEAD TO THIS, YOU WILL BE SPOILED**

This page is a kind of Info Sheet for the story and will be updated after major events or whenever I feel like it. It will make it easier to keep up with events, people who've remembered, and abilities people have in this fic. I will also give extra information that I couldn't really fit into the chapters without having a character awkwardly explain it. I will not include any canon events or powers unless they weren't gained until AFTER the point where Issei came back in time, like [Diabolos Dragon] from later on in the canon series.

* * *

 **Powers** **:**

Issei:

-Ki Network & Ki Manipulation: Ability to accelerate the healing of others, coat body parts to improve attack and defense, and improve his own abilities

=Using his ki, Issei can protect himself from a certain level of damage caused by light. After passing that threshold, Issei will begin taking a lot of damage, as seen when he used his own light based powers

-Elemental Ki Manipulation: Issei can consciously (or unconsciously) invoke an element in his ki. Due to the fact that Issei is only good at fire magic, he can only add a fire element to his ki. When using his Boosted Gear and Draconic powers, though, his natural dragon element changes his ki, making it more powerful. This form of ki is called Red or Crimson ki.

-Current wielder of Excalibur Rapidly

-Part-Angel: Issei was bestowed angelic powers by God's System, though his Dragon blood corrupted the angelic powers making his power to control light slightly weaker but he cannot fall. Residing in Heaven while having thoughts or performing action that might normally make him fall will still activate Heaven's defense mechanism. Also, because Issei has the body of a devil, light still hurts him, even if it is his own.

-Proficient Swordsmanship: After years of training, Issei has become an excellent swordsman, though he is not as good as Kiba after the training they had when visiting the Underworld prior to Rias and Sona's first Rating Game.

-New Techniques:

-[Great Fire Breath]

-[Divine Javelin] A hyper-compressed high level light spear

-[Amser] A welsh word meaning 'time' that is also a spell Azazel taught Issei to create a time-frozen separate space

-[Compress] A technique Issei is able to use that stems from his Dividing Gear. He has reached the level where he can use it without bringing out his Dividing Gear. The ability compresses the size of any object Issei wants to as small as possible.

Akeno:

-Four-wings: Akeno has worked hard over the years since recovering her memory and has gained another pair of wings as proof. In the canon, she was only able to bring out more wings while using special bracelets made by Azazel. Due to all her training, her power, especially that of her light, has increased substantially.

-Light Shield: Using her powers of light and mixing it with lightning, Akeno is able to create an extremely powerful shield around herself. She can expand it to cover one or two other people but expanding it too much would compromise its strength. Currently, the shield hasn't been penetrated by anyone's attacks and, after the fight with Kokabiel, it is possible that only leader-class beings can actually injure anyone inside the shield.

-Enhanced Magical Energy: All of Akeno's intense training over the years has increased her inner source of magic and allows her to use stronger magic for longer than before.

Koneko:

-Improved Ki Control: Due to the fact that Koneko has only recently regained her memories, she isn't quite up to par with Issei and Akeno's difference in strength. Through Issei's guidance, Koneko has learned how to manipulate ki better than before but mostly for improving her offensive capabilities rather than defense. She also has yet to have been taught any other uses for ki.

Yumi:

-Hunter: Yumi, being under the contract of the Greek goddess Artemis, is a hunter-type. This means that she has many of the abilities that a typical hunter would.

=Yumi can hide her presence extremely well and is practically invisible to enemies in areas that aren't very open.

=She is able to calm herself down easily during fights which allows her to fight to the best of her ability

=Excellent Marksmanship

-Immense Holy Energy: From the experiments performed on Yumi during the Holy Sword Project, an enormous reserve of Holy energy was released in her body giving her endless supplies to use. She cannot, however, manifest this Holy energy in any way.

-Eagle Eye: An ability gained after constant worship to Artemis. Yumi's Eagle Eye ability causes her eyes to glow a dim orange when activated and allows her to see clearly up to 3 miles away. This, coupled with her Hunter ability Excellent Marksmanship, makes her a great sniper.

-Bow of the Legendary Hunter: A bow Yumi received from Artemis that is bound to her soul and can be manifested at will. The bow is made of wood from the famed tree Yggdrasil, gifted to Artemis from a Norse god trying to win her favor. The bow string is made from Artemis' own hair and is an excellent weapon for a Hunter-type warrior. The bow allows Yumi to shoot arrows at speeds that exceed the speed of sound.

-Spirit Arrow Quiver: A quiver gifted to her by the Greek goddess Hecate due to a Azazel calling in a favor. Hecate created the quiver out of simple leather and bolts but enchanted it to be able to create spirit arrows from the holy energy in Yumi's body. (Think of the bound arrows from Skyrim) This quiver has been enchanted to be incredibly sturdy and can generate as many arrows as there is energy to use.

* * *

 **People Who Have Remembered** **:**

First - Yasaka/Kunou: Yasaka's memories were triggered after hearing a prophecy about a perverted red warrior with a great love of breasts. She was pregnant with Kunou and the change in her mental state after recovering her memories affected the energy in her body, causing Kunou to also recover her memories.

Second – Akeno: Akeno recovered her memories while Issei was protecting her from some neighborhood punks. The trigger was Issei proclaiming that he would protect her after beating up one of the punks.

Third – Vali: Vali recovered his memories after Azazel accidently let 'Ketsuryuukou' slip when Issei told him about the strange nickname his pupil had. Hearing that name immediately caused Vali and Albion to recover their memories.

Fourth – Azazel: Azazel recovered his memories after Vali had said 'Oppai Dragon' in response to 'Ketsuryuukou' causing Albion to cry.

Fifth - Koneko: Koneko remembered after a combination of hearing Issei call her Koneko-sama (after she had smashed him in the gut with her fist) and hearing him mention his dream to become a Harem King.

Sixth – Asia: Asia recovered her memories after reliving the day she and Issei went out to have fun as friends and finally hearing Issei say that he would protect her no matter what.

Seventh – Xenovia: Xenovia recovered her memories after feeling Issei's immense power and learning that he was a dragon. Her desire to make strong babies with him caused her to her recover her memories.

Eighth – Kiba: Kiba recovered his memories after hearing Issei talk about him being the irreplaceable Knight of the Gremory.

* * *

 **Questions I Haven't Answered in a Chapter** **:**

Alright, I've seen a lot of repeated questions so I decided to answer some of them here instead of just sending out PMs all the time.

-What about Akeno's mom?

Shuri Himejima's soul is still residing in the purple crystal which is presently in Ophis' possession back in Kyoto. She cannot be resurrected as of yet due to the fact that Azazel is still working on perfecting the cloning technology. Since he's mostly working on his own, only a couple others helping him, it's taken a long time to get it right. On top of that, they are also trying to make it so Shuri's new body will be able to last forever since it would be more painful to resurrect her just for her to die of old age in a hundred years which is like the blink of an eye for a devil or Fallen Angel.

-Will *so and so* be added to the harem?

Sona Sitri is not one of Issei's love interests and will not be in the harem. Yasaka, although interested in Issei, will not be a part of the harem. Gabriel will not be a part of the harem on account of the fact that she a seraph and should not engage in anything sinful like mating, especially not with a perverted devil like Issei who would definitely make her fall with his lust.

-When will everyone recover their memory?

The conditions for remembering is that some important (to that person) words or actions or both have to be performed in order for them to remember. If you guys can think of something that might make someone remember later in the story that is tied to Issei then that might be what I use. This whole remembering thing is going to go on for a while since I don't want to rush. This story is going to go on for a LONG time so no need to skip through anything.

-(Insert random question about Issei's new strength)

Issei has only ever used 60% of his maximum capacity (not counting Boosts) in any battle up until now. Issei's base power is somewhere around Maou level. There is a limit to how much he can Boost his power but, unless he was seriously trying to kill someone, he would never actually use a Boost to increase his power. Instead, all of his Boosts up until now have been used to put less strain on his body when using incredible amounts of aura for last ditch moves. One problem Issei had before is that he would run low on aura after a while so this time around, he's using the Boosts specifically on his total amount of aura, allowing him to fight longer.

Issei's power is held in check by 42 magical seals on his body that he can activate or release at will with Ddraig's help. Every ten percent up to 30% removes one seal (so 3 seals), from 30% to 60% is 3 seals(so 9 seals), 60% to 80% is 5 seals (so 10 seals), and 80% to 100% is 10 seals (so 20 seals).

-(Insert random comment about weird POV jumping)

So, I don't know how many of you read the LN (probably most of you since the events this stems from aren't in the anime or manga yet), but Ishibumi does that pretty often and with more characters than I do. I was never really interested in the POV change to people like Azazel or the bad guys but Kiba and Rias are two I always enjoyed. Third person is good for fights, too, so I wanted to use one of those. If you guys don't like it, well, I guess I could use them less often but one reason I use them is to get a different perspective on events that are similar to canon. Since Rias and Kiba still don't have their memory back, they're experiencing everything first hand so I thought it would be interesting.

* * *

To finish off with, guys I want you to know that I read EVERY SINGLE REVIEW that is made on my story so if you see others commenting something important like a plot error, you don't need to comment it. Instead, I'd love as much feedback as you can give me! I'm no well-versed author, just a weird fan who writes on the internet. I'm always looking to improve so give me all you got!


	35. Volume 3 Life 10

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Omg I wanted to get this chapter out earlier but between the new computer and finally being able to play modded Skyrim I haven't had a chance T_T**_

 _ **I have a problem.**_

 _ **Anyways, this chapter isn't as long as the previous ones because I found a good spot to end the chapter on. Next chapter is DEFINITELY going to be super long and epic so don't worry too much.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.10**

"Yo, Issei," said Xenovia as she walked into the clubroom.

"Eh? Xenovia, you're back?" I asked, pretending not to know why she was here. It's been a couple days since Kiba and I received our punishment from Rias, how humiliating for someone as strong as me…

"Everyone, welcome the new Knight of the House of Gremory, Xenovia Quarta," said Rias, everyone reacting with mock surprise.

"I had learned about it while chasing Freed that God had died. Irina was lucky to not have heard it but I went back and asked my superiors about it. Apparently I asked about something I wasn't supposed to know about because I was excommunicated. I had nowhere else to go so I begged your master…well our master, to let me join you all," said Xenovia, making up the first part.

In truth, Xenovia just went back and asked since she already knew about God's death but she had to make up where she learned about it since Kokabiel never actually mentioned it.

"Ufufu, I thought it would be nice to add the user of Durandal to our ranks," said Rias, smiling happily. "With this, you and Yuuto will be excellent in protecting our right and left flanks."

"Of course. I also transferred to this school as a second year as of today. Take care of me, _Issei_ ," said Xenovia, saying my name in a cute voice.

Agh! She's teasing me like the first time!

"I hope Irina's doing alright…" I said. I remember her saying she took it badly when Xenovia left in the previous timeline.

"She wasn't particularly happy. Sometimes thinking about it makes me wonder if I made the right choice, hurting her like that. Ah~, help us rebuild our relationship, O Lord! Uff!" said Xenovia before getting a headache from her prayer and clutching her head. Doesn't this girl ever learn?

* * *

 ** _Later that day…_**

I was currently in my house, hosting a grand meeting of my friends. Rias had to take care of something with Sona-kaichou and said she wouldn't be back until late so Akeno suggested I hold the meeting to bring everyone up to speed. After all, I let out a big secret in the fight with Kokabiel the other day.

Currently, Akeno, Kiba, Koneko-chan, Asia, Xenovia, Yumi, and Valerie were all here in the sitting room while my parents relaxed in their room to give us privacy.

"Alright, Issei, so why don't we start getting caught up," said Xenovia.

"Okay, everyone, so…I'm one-third angel, as you saw the other day. I was half-angel half-dragon, but since I got reincarnated into a devil, it split it up. I became an angel because there was some kind of issue caused in God's System in Heaven due to my time traveling. At least, that's what Azazel-sensei thinks. He had talked to Michael-san and used my being a user of Ascalon to get me to Heaven. Once I got there, though, the System transported me straight to the Seventh Heaven where it turned me into an angel. Apparently, my dragon blood affected it so I can't fall but I'm not as strong as a regular angel. Being an angel is also how I was able to start learning ki and senjutsu," I explained.

"But…!" cut in Xenovia. "But only the Seraph are able to enter the Seventh Heaven. The System either teleports away or exterminates any who come into the Seventh Heaven if you haven't been given God's blessing like the Seraph. How in the world were you able to…?"

"I don't know that part," I said. "Michael-san and the other Seraph were confused, too. They think it has to do with the System having its own will. After all, a lot of powerful Holy artifacts end up getting their own will, like Excalibur and the other Holy swords."

"I wondered how Ise-senpai was able to use ki despite not having a ki network before. I thought Nee-sama had done something," said Koneko-chan, looking pensive.

"Is Ise-kun hiding any other surprises from us? I've just come back into this but I believe I've been caught up based on what Ise-kun had said before I got my memories back and now," said Kiba.

"Aside from being a lot stronger and some powerful techniques I've mastered, nothing much. There's a few surprises that I might share, plus some things I don't even know about," I said, looking over at Valerie when I said that last part. She still hadn't told me what she and Sensei have been working on. "Ah, I forgot to mention but Valerie is one of Gasper's friends. Akeno already knows but the rest of you don't. She is the other Dhampnir that Gasper escaped with but ended up getting separated from."

"Ah? I remember Gasper mentioning her before but I never thought I'd get the chance to meet her," said Kiba.

"Nice to meet you all. I hope Gasper hadn't caused you too much trouble. I don't really understand the whole timeline thing that Ise-sama explained to me but, if Gasper had friends like you, then I'm sure he had a good time," said Valerie, smiling.

"So, Ise-san, until Rias-onee-sama recovers her memories, we should just act like me did before, right?" asked Asia.

"Yes. Until she does you should. Once she does, you'll just have to act that way around others. Ophis explained that only 15 people are going to recover their memories. There's been an exception but so far Yasaka-san and Kunou are first then it goes Akeno, Vali, Azazel-sensei, Koneko-chan, Asia, Xenovia, and finally Kiba. That means 8 people have remembered so only seven to go. I don't know if there will be more exceptions so we'll see how things go. Until then, everyone act natural but train hard."

"Ise-kun has set a high bar. We'll have to work hard to catch up to the over-powered Pawn," said Kiba, grinning.

The others all nodded in sync and I grinned. These guys…

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Eh?" I said, genuinely surprised for once.

"You heard me right, Issei. My brother has become interested in you and is planning to come by soon to check on you. He said he also has some important business in the area so he is going to stop by," explained Rias.

"Ara, is this important business about what you mentioned earlier?" asked Akeno.

"Yes. Sona had pulled me out the other day because her sister, the Maou Leviathan, told her that there might be an important meeting happening soon due to the attack by Kokabiel. It only took a few hours for something like that to make waves which shows how big of an impact it made. My brother and Leviathan-sama confirmed it with Sona and I last night. Onii-sama is coming within the next couple days so I hope you're doing well, Issei," said Rias. "Ah, by the way, today after school we'll be having a little activity."

"Activity?" said Kiba, curious.

"For helping us with the Kokabiel incident, we'll be taking care of cleaning the pool for the student council this month. Sona said it would be alright for us to use it right after so we can relax for a little while," said Rias, smiling.

"That's good, then. I can have some skin ship with my devil-senpai," said Xenovia as she hugged my arm into her cleavage.

Uooooh~~~~! Xenovia what the hell are you doing!

"Ara ara, I was thinking the same thing! It seems we'll have to split up the time then," said Akeno, coming up and doing the same thing to my other side.

Akeno~~! Ahhh~~! On my left is a Bishoujo! On my right is a Bishoujo! On both sides I feel voluptuous breasts! What am I supposed to do when I can't take either of them yet!

"What are you three doing?" said Rias staring at us with an irritated expression.

"Just some skin ship with my childhood friend, Buchou," said Akeno, smiling innocently at Rias while rubbing her breasts up and down my arm. Akeno~~!

"*sigh* Do as you please. Just don't be late," said Rias before getting up from her desk and leaving the room.

"Arara, Rias can get so jealous," said Akeno, leaning closer to me.

"It seems you've already made Buchou fall for you, Issei," said Xenovia, mimicking Akeno.

"Ah~! Alright, I know now please stop tempting me so much!" I shouted, practically in agony.

"Issei, you know we can make babies whenever you want, right?" said Xenovia, looking at me with a serious expression.

What are you saying in front of everyone, Xenovia~~~!

"Ara, that's no fair, Xenovia. I need to have an affair with Ise first," said Akeno, glaring over at Xenovia.

"Auuuu~! I don't know if I should give myself to Ise-san yet," said Asia, sounding conflicted from off to the side.

Koneko-chan popped up between Xenovia and Akeno and hugged me from the front.

"Senpai is mine until I get bigger. Go away," said Koneko-chan, looking at me with an adorable face.

Agh~~~! You girls make me want to take you all now~~!

"Um…Ise-kun, I think Buchou will get mad if we take too long," said Kiba, sweat-dropping at the scene before him.

"Ah! You're right! You're right! Let's go now," I said, causing the three clingy girls to pout.

"Next time," agreed the three girls, nodding to each other.

Next time? Next time for what?!

* * *

 ** _Later that night…_**

"Honestly, Issei is just so perverted," said Rias, annoyed.

Somehow, despite everyone except her having their memories back, almost the same situation played out at the pool. Except for the part where my arm dragonified. Instead, Akeno just pulled me away and everything played out nearly the same after that. Even the part where Rias found me with Xenovia.

"There was really nothing wrong with it, Buchou. Akeno and I were just trying to get closer to Issei. Well, I was also trying to-," began Xenovia before I cut her off.

"That's enough, you! Honestly, you're even worse because you're so serious about it," I said, glaring. Xenovia still hasn't learned any decency. No surprises there, I guess.

Before our conversations could continue, I felt an aura appear behind me and turned to find a brightly lit magic circle appear behind us.

"My, things seem to be lively here," said an all too familiar voice.

The magic circle and bright light disappeared almost instantly, leaving behind Sirzechs-sama and Grayfia-san.

"O-Onii-sama?!" said Rias, surprised.

Kiba, Akeno, Koneko-chan, and I almost immediately kneeled when we realized who was here, Asia panicking a bit before getting down, too. Xenovia didn't just like last time. Since she just came from the Church, I guess she needed to keep up appearances.

"You," began Sirzechs-sama after getting Asia's attention. "You're Asia Argento, I take it?"

"Y-Yes, I am. I-I'm honored that Maou-sama knows my name," said Asia, trying her best to act.

"Of course, I know all of my sister's servants. Thank you for taking care of Rias. I've heard you're a talented bishop and have helped her with your Sacred Gear many times already," said Sirzechs-sama, smiling at her.

"Ah! But I'm not-," began Asia.

"Relax, I'm not here on official business. Not yet, at least," said Sirzechs-sama, causing Rias to look at him with confusion. She did say that he told her he was coming for official business but was going to take a look at me while he was here.

Xenovia stepped forward and caught Sirzechs-sama's attention. He smiled at her.

"Ah, you're the new knight, correct? I believe your name was Xenovia Quarta, correct?" said Sirzechs-sama.

"Yes, it is nice to meet you, sir. I am honored to be known by name by a Maou," said Xenovia.

"Don't worry about it too much. I was surprised, though. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard that the wielder of the famed holy sword, Durandal, had joined my sister's peerage. Honestly, my sister has such a fun peerage," said Sirzechs-sama, laughing a little. "Xenovia, please offer us Gremories your support from now on."

"If it is an offer from Lucifer, the most famous Maou, then how could I possibly refuse. I'll do all that I can," said Xenovia, bowing her head.

"That aside, Onii-sama, why are you here? You had said in the next couple of days…and that you would be dealing with official business in the area before visiting," said Rias, curious.

"Ah, of course, of course, but that comes later. After all, isn't your class observation soon?" said Sirzechs-sama, causing Rias to gape. I had almost forgotten about that. I guess I do remember the teacher mentioning it. "I'd love to watch my sister doing her best at school from up close."

"Ah~! Grayfia, you're the one who told him about it, didn't you?!" shouted Rias, blushing in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it, Ria-tan. Ah, Father's coming, too," said Sirzechs-sama, Rias slumped at hearing that and Sirzechs-sama laughed a bit.

"You're a Maou, you know. How could you leave your post for something so insignificant?" mumbled Rias, looking away.

"Don't say that…either ways, this is also a part of work," began Sirzechs-sama. Rias perked up and looked at him with a confused expression. "We were thinking…this school might make a good location, for the leaders' summit."

"E-Ehh?! H-Here at Kuoh Academy?" said Rias in shock.

"Yes. I also, plan to investigate this one over here," said Sirzechs-sama, pointing at me.

"Ah, I almost forgot. Issei, this is my brother, the Maou Lucifer," said Rias. "It seems like you realized since you kneeled with the others."

"Well, you had mentioned this morning so when I heard you say 'Onii-sama' I had assumed…" I began. I turned to Sirzechs-sama, still kneeling. "Um…hello Maou-sama, my name is Hyoudou Issei."

"Yes, I've heard a lot about you from my little sister. You've caught my attention and I'd like to speak later. For now, though, we should probably go home," said Sirzechs-sama.

"Home?" I said, knowing what he was going to say.

"Of course. My little sister is staying in your home, correct? I'd love to see how she is living," said Sirzechs-sama, smiling.

"Eh?" said Rias, frozen in place.

Honestly, Sirzechs-sama, you need to take it easy on my master.

* * *

"I'm glad my sister hasn't caused you any trouble," said Sirzechs-sama, now sitting on the couch next to Dad. We were at my house now, Asia and Rias sitting in the armchairs across from Dad and Sirzechs-sama. Mom was in the kitchen making some tea.

"Oh, no, don't say that, Rias is such a nice girl! She's always offering to help around the house and even helps to make lunch for Issei whenever Asia isn't," said Mom from in the kitchen.

"Yeah, she's honestly too good for our Issei," said Dad, causing me to sweat-drop.

Is that any way to talk about your son right in front of him?

"Here, have some more," said Dad before pouring beer into Sirzechs-sama's glass.

"Ah, thank you, thank you," said Sirzechs-sama before laughing.

"That's a Maou, Dad…" I mumbled. Even the second time around, I can't believe my parents are acting so calmly.

"I-Ignorance is bliss, as they say," said Asia, laughing awkwardly.

"This is so _awkward_ ," said Rias, pouting.

Ah~, Rias looks cute when she makes a face like that. Sorry I said Sirzechs-sama could stay here but what do you want me to say to a Maou?

* * *

I glanced over at Sirzechs-sama who was laying down on a futon on the floor, his eyes closed. It was the second time around, but I still felt guilty making a Maou sleep on the floor while I slept on a bed.

"Um…I'm sorry…for making you sleep like that, I mean," I said. There was silence for a moment.

"…It's fine like this. I feel more at peace when I'm treated normally that with a grand reception and fancy room," said Sirzechs-sama, looking up at me after opening his eyes.

"I guess Maou-sama must get tired being treated so formally," I said.

"I do, at least sometimes. And Hyoudou Issei-kun, please don't refer to me so formally. Just call me by name: Sirzechs," said Sirzechs-sama.

"I wouldn't be so rude to call you by your name alone. May I call you Sirzechs-sama?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"*sigh* I guess that will have to do," said Sirzechs-sama. "Then, may I call you Issei-kun?"

"Of course! I'd be honored," I said.

"Good. Then, Issei-kun, I have some questions for you," began Sirzechs-sama. Oh, here we go. "First of all, who are you?"

"Sirzechs-sama, I'd like to not have to lie to you since I have a lot of respect for you, but you'd have to keep parts of what I tell you a secret. Especially from Rias," I said, calmly. I glanced over at Sirzechs-sama, who was staring at my ceiling, and saw him nod. "I'm the Sekiryuutei. I won't be able to tell you how I learned about my powers or anything because someone stronger than you asked me not to reveal anything. I've met Yasaka-san, the Nine-tailed Fox, and Azazel who both trained me. I became the wielder of Ascalon by a way I don't understand, and I became the wielder of Excalibur Rapidly after I tried to end the Holy Sword Project that Kiba was a part of. I became part angel after an incident in Heaven. I know Michael-san, you can ask him for more information since I don't really understand what happened myself. I've been training to master my powers for 11 years and, from the fact that I defeated Kokabiel fairly easily, you can see where that got me."

After I finished giving a short explanation, while lying about or leaving out some details, Sirzechs-sama stayed silent. After a minute, he sat up and looked at me with a curious expression.

"That was more than I thought you'd share. If you were trained by Azazel _and_ Yasaka then you must have become quite impressive. Your ki, though. I doubt Yasaka even remembers the basics about ki since she's become a natural at using it," said Sirzechs-sama.

"Ah, well…" I began, not sure if I should say it. Ah, to hell with it. "I got help from Koneko-chan's sister, Kuroka. She became my familiar and helped to train me."

"Kuroka? Hm…interesting. To be trained in ki by a high-level Nekoshou. Well, then, I won't ask more about her since she's technically a high-class criminal. I'll pretend I didn't hear anything. Now that I know who you are, though, I'd like to know something else. What are your intentions with my sister, Rias?" asked Sirzechs-sama, seriously.

"I'm in love with her!" I shouted, as I quickly sat up in my bed. I said it with such confidence that Sirzechs-sama looked a little surprised. He began to chuckle after a moment and I looked at him, curious.

"To think you could say something like that with such a serious expression. I could tell from your eyes that you were being completely truthful with me. I wonder, though, what is it that drew you to my sister?" asked Sirzechs-sama.

"Eh? Ah well…" I said, blushing. Ah~~, Maou-sama is asking me to talk about something like this?

"I heard that you like large breasts. Was it my sister's breasts that drew you to her?" asked Sirzechs-sama, grinning at me.

"A-Ah! Well, it is true that I do love her breasts very much! But that isn't the only thing that's drawn me to her. She kind-hearted and very strong-willed. She's been very accepting of me, even though I'm a stranger with a lot of power that just walked into her life. I couldn't really say anything specific. Love is strange like that, I guess," I said, thinking about that first time I realized I loved Rias. My heart ached a little since we wouldn't be together again like that until she regained her memories.

Sirzechs-sama stared at me with an innocent smile on his face.

"Take care of my sister, alright?" said Sirzechs-sama. I was surprised by what he said but he didn't wait for my response. Instead he laid back down and closed his eyes.

"O-Of course!" I shouted before I lost the chance.

I laid down and pulled the covers around me, looking up into the ceiling. I wonder what Sirzechs-sama could be thinking right now.

"Ah, Issei-kun," began Sirzechs-sama, catching my attention. "I forgot to ask you one thing. How strong do you think you are? At your full power?"

"…Eh?" I said, surprised. I didn't think Sirzechs-sama would be interested in how strong I was. "Well, I hadn't really compared myself to anyone since my full power is greater than the full power of anything I've experienced before. I used 60% of my power against Kokabiel and beat him pretty easily. Most of the damage I took was from my own light attack."

"Hm…so if you had someone powerful to test it against, you think you could understand how strong you are?" asked Sirzechs-sama.

"Well, yes, I guess. I think only someone like one of the faction leaders would be strong enough though," I said, not understanding where he was going with this.

"Why don't we fight, Issei-kun?" asked Sirzechs-sama.

…Eh?

EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!

"W-W-W-What are you talking about Sirzechs-sama? I couldn't possibly fight you," I said, sitting up and panicking.

"Ara, what's the problem? You even said it would have to be one of the faction leaders. I am. On top of that, I'm what is considered a Super Devil. I'm beyond Maou-class so I would be a good person to use as a gauge," said Sirzechs-sama, smiling at me innocently.

No! Stop looking at me like that, Sirzechs-sama!

I can't fight someone like you! If I kept up with you at all and word got out it would be a REALLY big deal! Don't have an expression that says 'It's fine' when it's not!

"As long as we keep everything under wraps there wouldn't be any problems. We'll even give it a cover story just in case. A Maou giving a training session to his little sister's peerage. Not too bad, is it? Well, we can work out the details tomorrow. Anyways, good night, Issei-kun. Try not to worry about it too much," said Sirzechs-sama before closing his eyes and turning away from me.

…Eh? How could you say something like that and just go to sleep~~~?! I'm going to be up all night stressing out about this~~~! Agh! This is just like last time except now it's about fighting you instead of using the Boosted Gear on Rias' breasts! Damn you, Maou-sama~~!

* * *

 ** _The next morning…_**

"Ise-san…are you alright?" asked Asia, no doubt seeing the dark bags under my eyes.

"Eh…? Ah, yeah. Nothing to worry about," I said, not sure if I should say anything before Sirzechs-sama does.

"Well, I'm going to show Onii-sama around the area so I'll be a little late. Please don't dilly dally," said Rias, her expression unreadable.

"I'm looking forward to getting a tour from Rias. See you all later and Issei, don't forget about what we spoke about last night," said Sirzechs-sama, smiling calmly at me.

"Last night?" asked Rias, curious.

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about. Now, Ria-tan, my tour?" said Sirzechs-sama.

Rias nodded and she, Sirzechs-sama, and Grayfia-san all left in the opposite direction.

Ah~, what a day this is going to be.

* * *

Asia, Xenovia, and I were almost at school now, Asia didn't have to wait for Xenovia this time since Xenovia still knew kanji from before.

We started crossing the bridge and a glint of silver caught my eye. I glanced over to see Vali standing by the gate, just like last time. He grinned at me and walked over to meet us on the bridge.

"Yo, Rival," I said, grinning. It had been awhile since I last saw him.

"Hello Vali-san," said Asia, smiling.

"Nice to see you've been hard at work, Rival. I see those two have their memories back," said Vali, grinning.

"Rias is the last one, not counting Irina and Rossweisse who haven't actually come back, though Irina was around for a bit," I said.

"Wow, you work faster than I thought. So in total that's eight 'persons'? Since that fox and her kid are considered one 'person'. Well, anyways, I just wanted to see how things've been going. You all already know why I'm here," said Vali before he began walking past us.

"Say hi to sensei for me," I said, grinning. Vali let out a 'Heh' in response before disappearing behind us. I turned to see he was totally gone and I grinned. He's gotten faster.

"Huh? Is Vali gone already?" said Kiba who had just arrived.

"Yeah, he didn't stay as long as last time. It's probably better since Rias might be annoyed," I said, smiling awkwardly.

"Well, we should probably get to class. I'm sure everyone will be happy to meet Xenovia," said Kiba, smiling.

* * *

It's been a little over an hour since Xenovia introduced herself to the class. Motohama and Matsuba went crazy as they did with Asia but, since I chose not to interact with them this time around, they didn't attack me like last time. Actually, a lot of the girls like me in the class so they treat me like they treat Kiba. I guess, if you take away my being a pervert, I have something to like about me? I don't really get it.

Xenovia looks happy, though, to be reunited with everyone. Speaking of which, where's that female pervert Kiryuu?

"So, Asia, you understand, right? You have to make sure you do _that_ with Ise before he gets taken away," said a voice from behind me. I turned to see Kiryuu and Asia talking near the front of the classroom. Asia was bright red and I sighed.

"Dammit you perverted girl, stop filling my precious Asia's head with perverted thoughts!" I shouted in annoyance. Kiryuu didn't respond to my shout. Instead she put on an evil grin and covered her mouth while she sneered at me.

"Y-You heard that, right Motohama?" said Matsuda from next to me.

"Y-Yes, Matsuda. I heard it," said Motohama.

"This damn new guy who is loved by all these girls is calling the class' blond princess his! Agh! Guys like him who have it so easy should die!" shouted Matsuda.

"I know! I even heard he's friendly with those beautiful first years Yumi and Valerie! How dare he take all the new girls for himself!" shouted Motohama.

I sweat-drop as I felt their vicious glares. Come on guys~…

* * *

"For today's English class, we are going to use clay that was passed out to make whatever you want. Anything is fine. Express what you visualize and give it shape. Expressing yourself in art translates well to English so do your best!" said out teacher. Everyone's parents were in the back of the class and I felt Mom and Dad were focusing the camera mostly on Asia.

"Visualize anything, huh?" I mumbled to myself. I could try and do what I did before, but I don't really want to make a fuss by creating a mini Rias. Hm…what should I do…

I started molding the clay around while letting my mind wander.

 _Why don't we fight, Issei-kun?_

Sirzechs-sama's words echoed in my head and I sighed. How in the world is this going to work out? Grayfia-san will probably be the only reasonable person that could stop Sirzechs-sama. Honestly, I wonder what goes through our Maou's heads. Between Beelzebub-sama's obsession with technical stuff, Sirzechs-sama doing whatever he wants, and Leviathan-sama being well…Leviathan-sama…it's a wonder anything gets done.

Sirzechs-sama, though…I wonder just how powerful he is at full strength. He's never released his full power around me so I don't have any idea. As a Super Devil he's beyond Maou-class…right? That's what he said at least. If I could keep up with him, even just a little, I would be really happy. It would mean I really haven't wasted these years.

"Hyou…Hyoudou-kun?" said a voice, breaking me from my thoughts. I looked up and saw my English teacher looking down at my desk. Uh oh…did I do it again?

I glanced down to see that my clay wasn't molded into the shape of Rias but instead an impressive looking Sirzechs-sama in his Maou outfit. I guess it was whatever I was visualizing rather than just Rias specifically.

"Uwah! Who is that handsome looking guy?" shouted one of my female classmates.

"Isn't that Rias-onee-sama's big brother? I saw him walking with her earlier," said another girl.

"Nooooo! That man is interfering with my Hyoudou x Kiba ship!" shouted another girl.

"We must make him return to Kiba-kun or else the ship will be ruined!" shouted another fangirl.

Really…? Even in this timeline girls want me and Kiba together?

"Father, Father, look at our Issei," said Mom from the back.

"I know! I thought Issei's only worth was his carnal desires and his martial arts skills but to think he had an artistic talent like that! It worries me that it's a guy, though…" said Dad.

"Ah~! You know our Issei. He's always with all those beautiful girls, so he wouldn't be like that! Ah~! I'm going to have so many grandchildren!" said Mom.

And that's where I'm ending that conversation.

"Ah~~~! Stop embarrassing me, you two!" I shouted while pointing at my parents, who responded with teasing grins.

* * *

 ** _Later that night…_**

"I can't take it anymore! Stupid Onii-sama, stupid Father!" shouted Rias, annoyed as she ran off. I guess she wasn't taking our families getting along very good just like last time.

"I'll go talk to her," I said, Asia nodding to me.

I got up and left the room while our parents and Sirzechs-sama watched the video they took that day. When I walked inside Asia and Rias' room, I found Rias sitting in the corner in the dark, hiding her face. Just like last time…

"Buchou," I began, causing Rias to look up at me, her eyes glassy. "Why don't we go to my room?"

Rias got up, silently, and followed me to my room, holding my hand as we went. As soon as we were inside, she closed the door and walked over to my bed before falling onto it, face first.

"Buchou, are you alright?" I asked.

"…Yes. I'm happy our families are getting along, even if what they're doing is embarrassing," said Rias, her voice muffled by the pillow. "…Issei…are you happy…that you met me?"

"Eh?" I said in mock surprise.

"Because, I am. I'm really happy that I met you…" said Rias, still muffled by the pillow.

"I'm happy, too. I'm really, really happy that I met you. You changed my life more than you know," I said, truthfully. It was true. Even if it wasn't in this timeline, Rias is the one who brought me into the world of the supernatural.

I sat down on the end of the bed and smiled to myself, feeling happy to hear Rias say words like that to me again. The bed creaked and I turned to find Rias moving towards my face in the darkness and my eyes softened a bit as her lips pressed onto mine. My heart was practically bursting from happiness as I felt Rias' lips on my own again. I kissed her back and she put her arms around my neck, causing my heart to start racing. Before we could go any further, though, the lights suddenly flickered on.

"Ise-san said he was just going to talk!" shouted Asia, annoyed but not looking surprised.

"Heehee, the first-strike decides the battle, Asia~," said Rias, winking at Asia. She moved close to my ear and whispered. "That was my first time, By. The. Way."

I blushed at her words but was distracted when Asia threw her arms around my neck, pulling me away from Rias.

"Then I'll just have to win with the second strike!" shouted Asia, pouting.

"What does that mean?" asked Rias, glaring now.

"Oh dear, it's not good to fight like this," said Sirzechs-sama as he entered.

"Onii-sama!"

"Sirzechs-sama!" said Rias and then Asia and I, respectively. Asia and I moved into more proper positions for being in front of a Maou while Rias stood up.

"Rias, there's something I wanted to speak to you about, but I'd like to meet with everyone. We can go to your base of operations after the Hyoudous go to sleep," said Sirzechs-sama.

"What is it, Onii-sama?" asked Rias.

"You'll see," said Sirzechs-sama.

* * *

"Everyone is here?" asked Sirzechs-sama who was sitting at Rias' desk, Grayfia-san to his right.

Everyone was called here after my parents went to sleep. Rias, Akeno, Koneko-chan, Xenovia, Asia, Yumi, Kiba, and Valerie were all here, along with myself of course.

Rias nodded, signifying everyone was here and Sirzechs-sama smiled.

"Before we start, Yumi and Valerie, I had heard of you two by name but I hadn't met you yet. It's a pleasure. We can speak more later. Anyways, to begin with, Rias," said Sirzechs-sama before grinning. "I think you're ready to release your _other_ bishop."

"Oh?" said Akeno.

"Onii-sama, does that mean…?" said Rias.

"Yes. I believe you're ready now. You have more servants and you've grown stronger. I think you can handle him now," said Sirzechs-sama.

"You have your other bishop locked away?" I asked, pretending not to know.

"Yes, Onii-sama ordered it. His powers were too much to handle so we had to put him in a sealed room using magic. He isn't dangerous normally, he just doesn't have control over his powers. Onii-sama said to wait until I could handle him better," explained Rias.

"You can release him in the morning. On to something more important now," began Sirzechs-sama and I could feel a lump building in my throat. "I'm going to have a match against your pawn."

And the room was silent for a solid minute…

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" shouted everyone in the room except Grayfia-san who just stared at our Maou-sama in shock.

"O-O-O-Onii-sama…you can't be serious are you?" asked Rias in shock.

"I-I can't heal Ise-san if he dies! Please reconsider, Maou-sama!" shouted Asia, tears in her eyes.

"Ahahahaha! You all reacted how I thought. I wanted to test Issei-kun. Even he isn't quite sure what his level is at so I thought I'd give him someone to test out against. I won't kill him of course, so you needn't worry, Asia-chan," said Sirzechs-sama.

"S-Sirzechs-sama, I must ask you to reconsider," said Grayfia-san.

"There's no issues, Grayfia. We'll deal with it if anything gets out but this is strictly between those in this room. I plan to fight seriously, though. I really want to see just how powerful Issei-kun is. After all, he defeated Kokabiel easily with just over half his power," said Sirzechs-sama, grinning over at me.

"Onii-sama, I agree with Onee-sama. You can't fight people for fun, it would be bad if it got out. Especially if Issei was able to put up even a little bit of a fight with you," said Rias, worried.

"It's alright. I already spoke to Issei-kun about it last night. We're going to have this match," said Sirzechs-sama, now sounding more like he's ordering it. "We'll have it tomorrow night. I hope you're prepared Issei."

What in the world have I gotten myself into?

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I've been thinking about this scene for awhile, hopefully it came out good. I had to cut it a lot because of all the scene jumps in the canon story.**_

 _ **Well, anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed, remember to Review to let me know what you thought and until next time...byeee :D**_

 _ **PS: Next chapter probably won't be until the first week of September because school is starting soon and I need to finish preparing.**_


	36. Volume 3 Life 11

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **...I'm...not too happy with this chapter. It's a long one, so you guys will be happy about that, but I don't know, I just didn't like the feeling behind this chapter. I rewrote several parts of it but I couldn't get super satisfied with it. I hope you guys like it more than I did.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.11**

 ** _The next morning…_**

"He's in here," said Rias, guiding us to a locked door with yellow police tape over it. I already knew about it but I kept quiet and acted like I didn't know anything as Rias fiddled with the lock and released the barrier spells around the door.

Valerie and Yumi were with us while Sirzechs-sama and Grayfia-san were preparing a separate space over at the house for our match.

"Valerie," I whispered to her. She glanced over at me and moved closer when I beckoned her. "The one in there is the one you've been waiting to see."

"Eh?" said Valerie, barely staying quiet. "Ise-sama…you don't mean…?"

I just grinned at her in response and her eyes snapped over to the door. I could almost _hear_ how fast her heart was pounding out of nervousness in meeting Gasper again. After all, he probably didn't even think she was still alive.

"Alright, I'm going to open it now," said Rias, turning to us. As soon as Rias opened the door, the bright light coming in caused a voice to scream out in terror.

I sweat-dropped at the sound as I remembered how much of a baby Gasper was before I whipped him into shape.

"Hello there. I'm glad you seem to be quite well," said Rias as we entered, a smile on her face.

"W-What in the world was that? And why is there so much light?!" shouted the voice in panic. I glanced over to where the bed was to find a small coffin and I grinned.

"The seal has been lifted and it's time to come out," said Rias, soothingly, as she opened the coffin.

"No! No! I like it in here! It's nice and dark!" shouted the now visible Gasper. He was laying in the coffin, covering his head and laying down face-first. He was even in a girl's uniform. This guy…

"Ufufu…so he still cross-dresses?" said Valerie, giggling to herself as she took in Gasper.

Gasper had been continuing to whine but once Valerie spoke he tensed up and went silent.

"Still…?" said Rias, confused.

"Gasper~! Won't you turn around so I can see you?" said Valerie, walking forward and smiling at him.

Gasper was frozen for a minute but he seemed like he was forcing himself when he started to turn around. When he turned completely around, he had tears in his eyes and he was staring at Valerie wide-eyed.

"No way…" said Gasper, sniffling. "I thought you had died back then. I thought I would never see you again…"

"I'm here and I'm alright, Gasper," said Valerie, her eyes tearing up.

"Valerie!" shouted Gasper before launching himself out of his box and onto Valerie. They both hugged each other, tightly, while Gasper wailed into her chest.

"Oh, Gasper. Haven't I always told you, not to be such a cry baby?" said Valerie, smiling at him while tears streamed down her face.

Rias moved closer to me, moved by their emotion but severely confused.

"What's going on here?" asked Rias, her face a mix of happiness and irritation. Probably with me.

"Did you really think it was a coincidence that I had a Dhampnir with me?" I asked, grinning at her. She pouted and nudged me on. "Valerie and Gasper are childhood friends from the Vampire territory. I don't know as much as I should because Valerie didn't want to talk about those dark times. They were separated when they were escaping. You ended up finding Gasper while I found Valerie. I was on a mission for my superiors there and I happened to spot them."

"And you kept this a secret, why?" asked Rias.

"I felt his presence here, but Gasper wasn't around. I decided to wait until you brought him out. I thought there must have been some reason and I didn't want to make Valerie sad," I said, calmly. That was mostly true. To let Valerie know that Gasper was here but she wouldn't be able to see him would be kind of cruel.

"*sniff* Valerie-!" began Gasper once he stopped wailing. "How…How did you escape? *sniff* I thought there would have been no way and I ended up leaving you alone like a coward!"

"It's alright, Gasper. I wanted you to be safe more than anything. I'm happy that you found a good master to take care of you," said Valerie, hugging Gasper into her breasts. Ah~~! I'm jealous of you, Gasper! Even I haven't done that to Valerie yet! "As for how I escaped, that one over there is the one who saved me."

I smiled and waved and Gasper looked at me with...well almost an affection. Like he recognized and was happy to see me but he didn't know who I was. I got the feeling I got when Kiba said he felt nostalgic fighting me or when Koneko-chan said she thought my ki felt familiar. Gasper was totally going to remember me.

"Well, now that you two have had your reunion," said Rias, smiling over at them. They separated and Rias hugged Gasper from behind, happily. "To all of the new peerage members, this is Gasper Vladi, my other bishop. He has a special and very powerful Sacred Gear but he can't control it well which is why he's locked up in here. His is exceptionally powerful, so Onii-sama wanted him sealed away until he thought I could handle training him."

"H-Hello," said Gasper, looking away, shyly.

"Hey! I'm Xenovia, Buchou's new Knight."

"I am Asia Argento, Rias-onee-sama's new bishop. Let's work hard together!"

"And I'm Hyoudou Issei, the new Pawn."

"Ah, I should probably introduce myself properly this time," began Valerie. "My name is Valerie Tepes and I'm Gasper's childhood friend. We were the only Dhampnir that were allowed to live so we supported each other until we decided to run away from the vampire territory. Ah, by the way, I have a Sacred Gear, too. I've been working with Azazel-sama through Ise-sama's connection with him and have been working on my Sacred Gear behind Ise-sama's back. My Sacred Gear is the Longinus Sephiroth Graal, or the Holy Grail."

"Eh?" I said, shocked. "EHHHHH?! How could you keep something so important a secret from me?!"

"Eh? B-But, Valerie, you didn't have a Sacred Gear before…" said Gasper, surprised.

"Apparently it was dormant. I didn't know you had one, too," said Valerie, smiling at him.

"Well, why don't we go outside and catch up," said Rias, trying to nudge Gasper on.

"No! I don't want to go outside. It's better in here!" shouted Gasper, shaking his head and cringing into Valerie.

"Oi, oi, come on now. We can't stay in here all day," I said, remembering what happened. I grabbed onto Gasper's wrist to drag him out and his eyes flashed brightly while he let out an 'Eep!'. "Eh?"

I glanced around and everyone was frozen in place. Gasper looked at me, surprised, and I became confused.

"Um…" I said while letting go of his wrist.

"W-What? T-This hasn't happened before! Y-You can move while I use my Sacred Gear?" said Gasper, shocked and sounding nervous.

"Apparently I can…well, I do remember Sirzechs-sama saying only very powerful people can still move while you're using your Sacred Gear. I guess it has to do with my power's influence?" I said, mostly to myself. Gasper moved back into his coffin while was talking to myself and he released his power, causing everyone to start moving again.

"Eh? Issei, when did you get over there?" asked Rias.

"Was that his Sacred Gear?" I asked, trying to distract Rias.

"Well, yes. The Forbidden Balor View. He can stop time for anyone or anything in his line of sight. It's known as the Evil Eye that Stops Time," explained Rias.

"Well, he's a bit of a scaredy cat so he can't use it well and only uses it to run away. Ufufu," said Akeno, laughing to herself.

"*sigh* True, he's not very brave. I hope he can get over it soon, but I don't want to force him too much," said Rias, looking at Gasper with worried eyes.

"I don't want to stand out~! I just want to stay here with Valerie and not be bothered!" whined Gasper crouching down in his coffin.

"Ara, I think I might have to stay with Gasper for a while until he calms down. Is that alright, Ise-sama, Rias-sama?" asked Valerie as she walked over to Gasper.

"That's fine. You two need time to catch up anyways. We'll just relax for most of today since Issei needs to prepare for this evening. Honestly, I still don't know what to think about that," said Rias, looking worried as she walked out.

"Ufufu, it's not every day that you get to watch a Maou fight," said Akeno, following her out.

"Take your time, you two," I said, smiling. Valerie smiled at me and I waved as I walked out with the others, wondering what would be Gasper's trigger. The other triggers have been things I didn't think meant that much to everyone but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

* * *

 ** _Later that day…_**

"Ehhhh~!" Issei-senpai is going to fight with Maou-sama?" asked Gasper, shocked. Everyone, except Rias, gathered back where Gasper and Valerie were talking not long before the fight between Sirzechs-sama and I was going to happen. I wanted Gasper to come along so I hoped telling him about the fight might make him interested.

"Maou Sirzechs-sama suggested it because he wants to test Ise-sama. I want to be there to see Ise-sama so I hope you'll come along, too, Gasper," said Valerie, smiling.

"It's already nighttime so you don't need to cry because of the sun," said Koneko-chan.

"I-It's only sunset, though…" said Gasper, cringing back a bit at Koneko-chan's teasing.

"Gasper, I want you to come along. You shouldn't miss a fight like this," I said, patting him on the shoulder.

"But…outside is…" said Gasper, nervously.

"Gasper, won't you do it for me?" asked Valerie, smiling at him. Gasper looked conflicted when she asked him directly like that and he gave a hesitant nod.

"Okay…" he said.

"Good, now we can go," I said. "Let's head over to the transportation magic circle."

"Rias and I fixed it up earlier so that we can transfer directly to the space Sirzechs-sama and Grayfia made. Sirzechs-sama seemed excited," said Akeno, her expression saying she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

We all walked over to the transportation magic circle and Akeno released her demonic energy, causing the circle to glow a silver color. The room changed and suddenly we were in a large battle field, the sky looking like the Dimensional Gap. It reminded me a lot of the field where I fought Raiser in the previous timeline after I had crashed the wedding.

"Welcome, all of you," said Sirzechs-sama. He was sitting in an ornate throne on the other side of the battle field, dressed in his Maou outfit. A stressed out Grayfia-san was on his right, standing, while Rias sat in a simple chair to his left, also looking stressed. We crossed the battle field over to where he was and he smiled. "You all can go ahead and go up into the stands."

Sirzechs-sama snapped his fingers and the wall behind him opened up to reveal seats grouped together. There were just enough for everyone except Grayfia-san who was going to be the referee.

"Everyone, please take your seats in the stands," said Grayfia-san. Everyone walked over and into the stands, Rias giving me a worried look before she left. Once there, Grayfia-san created a magic circle and a large, transparent barrier formed in front of the stands. "This barrier will protect you from any stray attacks from Sirzechs-sama or Issei-sama. Please remain in there without interfering."

"What if Ise-san is hurt?" asked Asia, sounding worried.

"Ara, I'm not that irresponsible. I prepared Phoenix Tears just in case, so worry not, Asia-chan," said Sirzechs-sama as he stood up. He snapped his fingers again and his throne and the chair Rias sat in disappeared while Grayfia-san flew up to a floating platform.

"Sirzechs-sama, I don't want to be rude, but you made sure this space is strong, right?" I asked, worried. All I needed was for this to break and I accidently destroy my house.

"Of course, Issei-kun. Grayfia and I made this space very strong. Even now I'm devoting 1% of my full power to keep it stable. It should be able to handle two Super Devils fighting. Try not to worry too much about it," said Sirzechs-sama, grinning.

 _"Can both participants please move to their own sides of the field,"_ said Grayfia-san over an intercom.

"Looks like it's time. Good luck, Issei-kun," said Sirzechs-sama before beginning to walk to his side of the field. He stopped and glanced back at me. "Oh, and Issei-kun…don't hold back."

I was frozen for a moment when I felt the incredible pressure of Sirzechs-sama's excitement. His anticipation for the match was insane. I guess people of his level don't get to let loose enough.

I grinned at him once I unfroze and walked over to my side before taking a deep breath and facing him.

[Partner, be careful,] said Ddraig, finally showing himself after being silent for a while.

"I know, Partner. Let's work hard, okay?" I said, grinning. "Boosted Gear."

I released my Sacred Gear before holding my fist forward.

"Balance Breaker!"

[Boosted Gear: Scale Mail!]

I was covered in my armor now and I saw Sirzechs-sama smile as he felt my power increasing.

I released my dragon wings and moved into a fighting stance, wondering if he was going to test me out or go for full strength at the beginning.

[I don't think you'll be able to do much at this much, Partner,] said Ddraig.

I didn't understand what he meant until I realized Sirzechs-sama wasn't even reacting to my power other than a smile. I moved into a stance to prepare, but he didn't move a muscle.

Is this not enough to make you move?

[Let's show him something better, then] said Ddraig, sounding riled up.

I relaxed my stance and took a deep breath before releasing more power. I released my angel wings and my power spiked, causing Sirzechs-sama's eyes to shine in interest.

"So it was true," said Sirzechs-sama, grinning. "I'll have to ask Michael more about it. So fascinating. A new type of Angel. And quite powerful at that."

I just grinned in response as I coated my whole body in ki. I infused my ki with my Holy element to make it more dangerous to Sirzechs-sama. Now, on top of its crimson color, there was a whitish aura to it.

"Is this enough, Sirzechs-sama?" I asked, moving into a stance again. Sirzechs-sama looked at me and smiled while rubbing his chin.

"Not quite. You're still holding something back, right?" asked Sirzechs-sama. I nodded and he stared me straight in the eye before releasing some of his aura. The power he released in that instant was almost equal to my current power; and I was already at 60% which easily defeated Kokabiel but I guess the faction leaders are just crazy power wise.

"Alright, let's go then!" I shouted, before closing my eyes and lowering my head. "I, who am about to awaken-"

I could feel my power surge at the words I hadn't said in so long.

"-Am the Red Dragon Emperor who holds the truth of the King up high-"

I could feel the energy expanding beyond what I've released in a while, only that time when I was with Xenovia did I release anywhere near this amount of power.

"-Holding the infinite hopes and unbreakable dreams and walking the path of righteousness-"

I opened my eyes to see Sirzechs-sama looked extremely happy at my surge in power.

"-I will become an Emperor of Crimson Dragon! And I will lead you to the Path of Heaven, glowing in deep crimson light!"

[Cardinal Crimson Full Drive!]

My armor completely changed to a deep crimson color and it morphed into that of the [True Queen] form. I felt my power increase ridiculously and I grinned.

"This is 90% of my full power! How do you like it?" I shouted, happily. I could see Sirzechs-sama looked very _very_ happy with my transformation. I remembered, though, how Xenovia had reacted the last time I released my power. I glanced over to the stands and saw that Gasper and Koneko-chan looked like they were about to pass out while Kiba, Xenovia, Asia, and Akeno looked like they were struggling. Only Yumi and Valerie, who had experienced my full power before and Rias were handling it well.

"Very impressive. I think I'll show off my full power now. I wonder how you will handle it," said Sirzechs-sama as he shrugged off his Maou cloak and shoulder pads.

 _"Sirzechs-sama, I-"_ began Grayfia-san before being cut off by Sirzechs-sama who only raised a silencing finger.

He relaxed his shoulders and twisted his neck around before taking a deep breath.

"HAH!" shouted Sirzechs-sama before a blast of power of Destruction blew off his body. The Destruction molded itself around him and settled into a red and black armor that covered all but his head. It then warped around the back and top of his head, forming an open-faced helmet. The armor wasn't solid like mine, but flowed like he was wearing armor made of fire.

I was a little distracted, though. By the _immense_ power radiating off him. He had surpassed even my [True Queen], though it wasn't by enough that I didn't think I could handle it.

"This form…I can't remember the last time I was forced to take it," said Sirzechs-sama, grinning. "Are you ready, Issei-kun?"

[Incredible, to have that much raw power and still be holding back,] said Ddraig, sounding impressed. [Honestly, I thought you were a monster, Partner, with your insane growth letting you reach up to near god-class in such a short amount of time. I realize now, this man is the _true_ monster. I didn't think there was a being that could contest to the power I or Albion had in our prime.]

Heh, don't sell me short, Partner. I'm holding back, too, remember?

[Go get him,] said Ddraig simply.

"Uoooooh!" I shouted before shooting forward.

[Jet!]

I closed the distance between Sirzechs-sama and I quickly and threw a fist coated in ki at him.

"Solid Impact Booster!" I shouted as I threw the punch. My arm transformed into that of my Welsh Rook and I smashed my fist into Sirzechs-sama's face, grinning.

The hollow sound reverberated and Sirzechs-sama's face barely turned at my punch.

"Impressive," said Sirzechs-sama, simply. "But, don't you think touching me is a bit dangerous?"

I glanced down to see what he meant and I saw the Power of Destruction eating away at my armor. I immediately leapt back and glared through my helmet at him as Ddraig repaired the damage.

I'll have to make the ki thicker so he doesn't damage my armor. Sacrifice more ki to protect myself. I wonder if I can do it…

I tried it anyways.

[Boost! Boost! Boost!]

I had more than doubled the size and density of my ki.

"Once more!"

[Jet!]

"Uoooohhhh!" I shouted as I lunged at Sirzechs-sama again, trying it again. This time, I threw my fist towards his gut, thinking that might be a better place to hit. Before I could hit him, though, he caught my fist and threw me past him, causing me to smash into the ground.

"Come now, Issei-kun. You don't think I'm just going to stand there and take all your punches, will I?" said Sirzechs-sama, obviously mocking me.

I reached into my separate space and grabbed Excalibur Rapidly, preparing to try to mix things up.

Sirzechs-sama came at me this time, surrounding himself with small balls of Destruction. The balls orbited around him as he ran over, but I wasn't just going to wait.

[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]

I built up some energy and-

[Transfer!]

I transferred the power into Excalibur Rapidly, increasing its durability to hopefully cut through that mass of Destruction.

Once Sirzechs-sama was close enough, I lunged at him and slashed, cutting away some of his Destruction armor. I took that chance to throw a punch to his exposed stomach and he took the blow full on. He gritted his teeth but I could tell he was taking the punch without too much trouble. Instead, while I was close, he grabbed onto my shoulders and the balls of Destruction he had flew around me. While his Destruction on his hands ate through my ki and into my armor, the balls because to drag across my armor in different places, stripping away ki and armor alike.

"RAAAH!" I shouted as I stomped into the ground, blowing huge chunks of rock and debris into the air. The sudden blast freed me from Sirzechs-sama's grip and I took that chance to put some distance between us, what was left of my armor shrinking down so that I could increase my speed. I sped out of the dust cloud I created to the other side of the field, panting. Ddraig began repairing my armor and I decided to try some long-ranged attacks while I stalled.

I took a deep breath and held it before igniting a flame in my belly.

[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]

The dust cleared around where Sirzechs-sama was and he immediately began flying towards me.

"GREAT FIRE BREATH!" I shouted as I released my tremendous flames, enhanced even more because I was in [True Queen] form.

The flames engulfed most of the field and everything was in flames. I knew I couldn't rest, though, so I prepared my next attack.

I created a light spear above my head, this one different than the Divine Javelin I used on Kokabiel. I wrapped the light in a dense layer of ki, turning the light spear orange. I then duplicated the spear around thirty or so times, giving me a small arsenal of spears. I launched all of them out as I could finally see Sirzechs-sama recovering from being hit by such intense flames.

"Now, Crimson Arrows!" I shouted as I launched them. I moved them so that they would hit Sirzechs-sama from all directions. He noticed what I was doing almost immediately and, knowing he couldn't dodge them all, created a dome-like barrier around himself made of Destruction. The spears blew up the moment they hit the dome but the Destruction wiped out any light and ki that tried to get through to Sirzechs-sama. By now, my armor was mostly repaired and I readied for close combat again.

"This is pretty impressive, Issei-kun. I know it doesn't look like it, but I'm trying pretty hard. I can't remember the last time someone pushed me this far. I think I'll have to reveal my true form," said Sirzechs-sama, grinning.

"True…form?" I said, surprised. He grinned at me and released his power of Destruction armor. I looked at him, confused, but didn't have to wait long.

Sirzechs-sama's entire body changed into the power of Destruction, all but his face converted into the energy. The power molded itself into a much sleeker armor than before, also looking more like knight's armor than just a mass of energy. There was one thing I noticed that put me on edge. His armor was destroying everything Sirzechs-sama touched, instantly. He was flying now because the ground he stood on before disappeared.

I gritted my teeth as I felt Sirzechs-sama's power soar way beyond what I felt before and I knew that even at 100%, I wasn't even going to come close.

"Going to give up?" asked Sirzechs-sama, frowning.

I gritted my teeth harder and threw out a fist in his direction.

"I'm not so weak that I'll run and hide for something like that! I would be a disgrace to Rias-Buchou and to you, her older brother and our Maou. I'm not going to take things easy anymore!" I shouted before concentrating.

In all my years of training, I couldn't release any form greater than [True Queen] but I could make it dramatically stronger. I infused my ki and Holy energy into my gems and they all glowed before showing the symbol of a dragon's face. My armor changed a bit, some of it changing into a whitish-gold because of the influence of my Holy energy.

My aura spiked again, this time maxing out, and I felt my full 100%.

"I can't hold this very long, so I hope you don't mind if I finish this quickly," I said before opening the panel on my chest.

"What is that?" said Sirzechs-sama, surprised by the cannon that came out of my chest. I began to concentrate aura in the cannon while also boosting.

[Boost Boost! Boost Boost Boost Boost! Boost Boost! Boost Boost! Boost Boost! Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!]

"FIREE!" I shouted before releasing the blast.

[Longinus Smasher!]

The beam of green decimated the battle field and it took almost five minutes for debris and smoke to clear enough to actually do anything.

I was panting, tired from releasing so much power at once. I still can't release the Longinus Smasher too often but even that isn't as damaging to the world as my other attack.

"Incredible, Issei-kun! To think you could use a forbidden attack like that!" shouted Sirzechs-sama as the dust cleared. I looked him over and he barely looked like I had done anything. "Ah, sorry, but I used my power of Destruction to counter it. Sadly, it wasn't quite strong enough."

"Damn…" I said, huffing. I was frustrated because it looked like I had barely done anything to him the whole fight. Every attack I launched was either deflected or stopped without him taking any damage.

"Now then…" began Sirzechs-sama before disappearing. "Why don't we finish this up?"

Sirzechs-sama appeared before me, causing me to back away in surprise. I immediately thickened the ki around my armor but took the brunt of a blast from Sirzechs-sama.

I was launched downward into the ground, uplifting the rock that was left over after my attack. I groaned in pain as his attack had gone through my defenses. If it had been in the previous timeline, I would have died instantly.

Before I even had a chance to recover, Sirzechs-sama was in front of me again, moving so fast that he blew away the dust cloud. He grabbed me by my helmet and lifted me up, his power of Destruction quickly eating through my ki. I grunted and he smiled.

"Sorry, Issei-kun, but it seems you're not quite up to the level of a Super Devil. I will say that you are at the very least Maou-class," said Sirzechs-sama, grinning.

I couldn't relax from his grin like I normally would because I could feel the damage I was receiving through my armor. I de-materialized my helmet, allowing me to slip through Sirzechs-sama's grip and I took the chance to launch away using my four wings. I reformed my helmet once I was out of range and spun around to see Sirzechs-sama was gone. I still hadn't stopped flying away but I suddenly felt his presence ahead of me. I turned to see he was right where I was flying to. I was moving too fast to stop or change direction and I flew right into a powerful punch he landed on my chin. I coughed out blood, filling my helmet with it.

I was launched high up into the air by his punch and it took all I had to try and balance myself with my wings.

"Urgh…Sirzechs-sama is really ridiculous. I guess I was too cocky thinking 11 years could prepare me for someone of his level," I said to myself.

[What do you expect, Partner? That one has probably been around for several centuries. Not only has he mastered his power, but he's been able to grow far beyond what most devils in history have done. Even the old Maou would pale in comparison to him. I would imagine most considered 'Super Devils' would be at that level,] said Ddraig, sounding as impressed as I was.

"I know…it's just frustrating that I'm not even a match. I know that there are enemies we haven't even faced in the Khaos Brigade. Who knows what kind of incredible people they have working for them," I said, annoyed.

[Well, Partner, we could always use…that. You won't be able to use it more than once a month, similar to Longinus Smasher, but it should at least do something to that incredible Maou,] suggested Ddraig.

"Eh? But, I thought you said it was too dangerous?" I said, shocked.

[It's fine in this situation. We're not in the real world anyway so it's safe here,] said Ddraig.

I grinned at what he said and I couldn't help but let out a laugh.

Sirzechs-sama, who had stopped to watch me, curiously, was now looking at me with a confused but serious expression. He knew I had something left but wasn't sure what.

I put Excalibur Rapidly away and closed my eyes as I focused.

"I, whose power is without measure,-"

 _Ah, he's using that strange attack again._

 _That attack is dangerous._

 _It is fine, our host knows what he is doing._

 _To be so young and to have surpassed us all._

I could hear my senpai speaking as I connected to the deepest parts of my Sacred Gear.

"-Am one who has denied destiny, with the help of the Dragon God-"

I could feel the core of Ddraig's original power that was deep in my Sacred Gear and I embraced it.

"-I have broken the reality of time, and reversed my own death-"

Ki as white as the clouds in Heaven poured out of the gems on my armor and I felt the power inside of me grow.

"-I call upon the Power of the Heavenly Dragon sleeping inside of my Heart-"

I moved my hands so that they formed a circle.

"-And the essence of all things living and unliving-"

A separate space opened up in the circle of my hands and a thin but long cannon barrel came out. It was decorated with dragon motifs and ki swirled around it.

"-To unleash power that can bend the universe to my will-"

The end of the barrel glowed a golden color as it charged up.

"So that I may become the Red Protector of Dreams!"

[REALITY SMASHER!]

A beam of solid gold shot out from the cannon barrel down to the ground below. Sirzechs-sama looked surprised and he built up an enormous amount of Destruction before launching it towards my beam. The two collided and the power was so intense that I could feel it shake the space itself.

Cracks appeared in the sky above me and I could tell this space wouldn't hold out much longer.

But…I can't stop! I can't let this opportunity I've been given go to waste!

"Uooooooohhhhhh!" I shouted as I put all I had into the attack.

And then, the glow of the collision between my and Sirzechs-sama's attack engulfed the entire field.

* * *

 _Sirzechs POV_

Tch, my attack is being pushed back?

I could feel the immense pressure Issei-kun was exerting on me and I was almost struggling to keep up enough power output to block the blast. Normally, a blast of this scale would be avoided but I clearly underestimated Issei-kun. This power is far beyond what this space is capable of handling but also, the barrier around Rias and the others can't handle the aftermath of the blast.

I have to stop it before it destroys everyth…!

I felt the power of the blast suddenly decrease and I strained to look past the bright light to see Issei-kun's hands drop. The beam immediately dissipated and I ceased my counter blast before seeing him suddenly drop from the sky. He smashed into the ground, his armor still on. As I walked towards him, his armor disappeared and he was left in his school uniform, clearly unconscious. I also released my true form now that the battle was over.

 _"It seems, Issei-sama has fallen unconscious. He has lost in his match against Sirzechs-sama,"_ said Grayfia from the intercom. I glanced up at her, seeing the shocked expression in her eyes. She was expecting Issei's strength even less than I was.

"Issei!"

I heard Rias shout from off to the side, noticing that Grayfia released the barrier.

She ran over to us, her peerage and Issei-kun's two friends right behind her.

"Issei! Are you alright?" shouted Rias as she landed next to him.

I looked Issei-kun over and could see blood flowing out of his mouth.

"Grayfia," I said, causing Grayfia to immediately come to my side.

"Yes, Sirzechs-sama," said Grayfia, taking out a Phoenix Tear. She walked over while Akeno rolled Issei-kun over onto his back. She administered the Phoenix Tear and Issei-kun immediately began coughing, some blood coming out of his mouth. "He seems to have taken an incredible amount of damage, probably from the strain of his last attack. Asia-sama, it would be a good idea to use your Sacred Gear on him. He should be fine by tomorrow as long as there are no serious repercussions for using that attack."

"Mm," said Asia-chan before a soft, green glow covered Issei-kun.

"Rias, I'll need to go. I should rest a bit before the meeting that is happening soon. I'll speak with you all about my thoughts on the match once he's awake, alright?" I said, receiving a nod in response. Rias looked at her servant with a worried expression but I smiled when I noticed her affection to him as well. My precious little sister has grown so much recently. "Grayfia, let's go back."

"Yes, Sirzechs-sama," said Grayfia before moving closer to me. We both disappeared in a magic circle and appeared back in our hotel room, protected by a special barrier we put up. "Sirzechs-sama, about the fight…"

I didn't respond. I could only smile. Smile a wicked smile of incredible excitement to be pushed so hard by someone so young. I was so excited for the next generation. Sairaorg is looking incredibly promising, as does my little sister's other peerage members. If we're not careful, we, Maou, might be replaced before we know it.

"Sirzechs-!" shouted Grayfia, suddenly, startling me.

"Dear…?" I said, surprised by her calling my name alone. I staggered a bit, feeling the incredible fatigue all at once.

Grayfia immediately supported me and I managed to catch a glimpse of myself in the bedroom mirror.

Ah~, I see. Her panic was the blood dripping from the corner of my mouth.

"S-Sirzechs, please drink this," said Grayfia, pulling out the spare Phoenix Tear we had brought just in case. I gulped it down and she seemed to sigh in relief as the color returned to my face. I still felt exhausted, but my physical strength had mostly returned. "What in the world was that final attack? It was beyond anything I've ever seen. And to be able to cause you this much damage just from the strain."

"It was difficult, maintaining the field and also blocking the attack. I'm amazed someone like him would be able to do something like that," I said, causing Grayfia to look at me in confusion. I reached up to caress her face with my hand but my expression was serious. "A blast so powerful, it surpasses Longinus Smasher and shakes reality itself."

"But-! Such a thing wouldn't be possible? Not even those of God-class are capable of doing such a thing. Only the strongest of gods could disrupt reality," said Grayfia.

"True, however Issei-kun drew out the true power of Ddraig, the power of a Heavenly Dragon. On top of that, he mixed in the purest form of ki that makes up physical matter everywhere around us. It must have been incredibly difficult to properly develop such an attack, let alone execute it. The strain was probably too much which is why he fell unconscious," I explained.

"Is that why you were unable to block it easily even in your true form?" asked Grayfia.

"Yes," I began, nodding. "The reality he was breaking was the unbreakable rule that the power of Destruction can disintegrate anything. It's the reason Issei-kun was having so much difficultly with me. He is clearly an 'up close and personal' type of fighter but I am a long-range fighter and have near impenetrable defenses. I pushed him far enough into a corner that he was forced to use an attack of that magnitude. If I hadn't been careful, you all would have died in the resulting explosion and it probably would have sent waves in the real world after destroying the space we created."

"Issei-sama…he is a dangerous one," said Grayfia, squinting in annoyance.

"True, but I look forward to his continued growth. He is the future of the Underworld. It makes me quite happy to see how bright the future is," I said, smiling.

"Sirzechs-sama," said Grayfia. "I believe you are too lax with these things.

"Ahaha, am I?"

Maybe I am…but the prospect of someone who pushed even _me_ this far being the future of the Underworld, makes me incredibly happy.

Don't disappoint me, _Issei-kun_.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **Aghhhhhh it feels so off T_T**_

 _ **Maybe I'm just not good at writing with really noble characters like Sirzechs.**_

 _ **Let me know what you guys thought and I might try rewriting this chapter again if you didn't like it as much I don't. If not, the story after this chapter is going to start picking up. The Summit is going to be the beginning of a lot of crazy stuff so look forward to that!**_

 ** _Anyways, until next time...byeee :D_**


	37. Volume 4 Life 0

_**Hey guys MT here!**_

 _ **I survived the hurricane! Damage was mostly trees and plants with some minor roof damage. Scariest part was that the wind ripped one of the shutters on my bedroom window off. It scared the crap out of me.**_

 _ **Well, anyways, I'm sorry for the lateness. After the hurricane, I didn't have power for a week and most of my time was spent rebuilding our gardens and clearing out fallen trees. I finally managed to finish this chapter but I feel like some parts were kinda rushed since I wanted to hurry up and finish it. T_T**_

 _ **Anyways, I'll talk more at the end, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Volume 4**

 **Life.0**

 _Ise POV_

"Nhh…"

I opened my eyes and groaned, clutching my head in pain. Ugh. I guess I still can't handle using Reality Smasher very well.

"Huh? Where am I?" I glanced around to find myself in a large room that reminded me of one of the rooms in the Gremory Castle. I heard the sound of a TV and walked past the entryway towards it. There was a TV turned on and playing some part of the news, confused, I turned to see who was watching and found Akeno. "Akeno?"

She didn't react to my voice so I walked over to her. She looked…broken? Akeno looked as though her mind had broken and she was just staring, blankly, at the TV screen. Once I was close enough, I put my hand on her shoulder to try and shake her out of her trance. When I touched her, though, my hand went right through her.

"Eh?"

What the hell is this?!

Am I dead? No, wait, things seem different here!

 _"This is Amy of the Devil News station here live in the Underworld as monsters of the Hero Faction attack the capital city of Lilith. Things have gotten quite out of hand here but all peerage members of all Maou are currently working hard to protect everyone. Azazel-sama, do you have anything to say?"_

The reporter said…the Hero Faction?

"Am I…looking at the timeline…I left behind?"

I…I can't believe this timeline even still exists. I thought it would have disappeared. Wait…I remember hearing about something one time. In science, my teacher mentioned that there was a theory that every time something happens a new universe is made. I think it was called the…many-universe theory?

I could see Azazel-sensei appear on the TV with the pretty reporter and he looked really serious.

 _"Yes, I do. The Hero Faction won't win so easily here in the capital city. With all the Maou's forces fighting then we should- What is that?!"_

I looked at sensei, worried. In the middle of speaking, his face suddenly turned pale and he spun around. There was something black flying in the background. I thought it might be one of the monsters, but apparently not.

 _"Azazel-sama, what…what is that thing?"_

 _"I…I don't know. I don't- Whatever it is, it's strong. Unbelievably strong. Get out of here now. I'll hold it off."_

 _"Wait, it disappeared!"_

 _"It wh- AH!"_

 _"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!-"_

With the reporters scream, the footage was cut off and there was only static on the TV now. I stared at the TV in shock and absolute horror. Whatever that thing was, I'm pretty sure it just…No way…

With the reporters scream, the footage was cut off and there was only static on the TV now. I stared at the TV in shock and absolute horror. Whatever that thing was, I'm pretty sure it just…No way…

I glanced back at Akeno who had tears streaming down her face.

"Ise-kun…why…did you die…?"

I clenched my teeth in frustration. So I was considered dead in this timeline? Tch! How could I just leave everyone crying and sad. I'm going to work even harder to make sure no one else suffers like this in this new timeline.

"Akeno! Rias! Everyone! I promise to protect you all!"

* * *

I woke up with a start and I quickly sat up and looked around. I was back in my room now and I was shirtless.

"A dream…?" I said to myself. I turned when I heard soft snores around me and saw Asia and Rias at both of my sides, sleeping soundly naked. I smiled because this was just like before. I laid back down and held both of their heads, pulling them into my chest. "I promise, I'll protect you both, and everyone else."

"Mnnnh…Ise-san…" mumbled Asia as she snuggled into my chest.

"Ise~! I know it's the weekend but how long do you plan to sleep?" shouted Mom from downstairs. I sighed and sat up again before glancing at the clock. So it's already 10, huh?

"Nmh," said Rias, cutely, as she woke up. I smiled at her when she looked up and me and her eyes widened. "Issei! You're finally awake."

"Eh~? What's going on?" said a sleepy Asia. "Ah! Ise-san, you're awake!"

Asia hugged me, tightly, while Rias smiled.

"I'm surprised. I thought you'd still be asleep. You passed out after releasing that strange attack," said Rias, now looking worried.

"Ah, yeah. It's one that drains me very badly. I still have a headache but I feel fine. I guess you had to use a Phoenix Tear on me?" I asked, curious.

"Yes, Asia also healed you as well. Onii-sama thought you would be fine but I didn't think you'd wake up after only a good night's rest," said Rias.

"Ah, well, I'm glad at least. The meeting is tonight isn't it?" I asked.

"Yes, it is. Onii-sama wanted both of us as well as a few others to come along. Since you've had contact with Azazel and Michael, he thought it might be nice for you to see them again," said Rias, smiling again.

"Ise! Are you up? Please wake up Rias and Asia as well!" shouted Mom again.

"We're up!" I shouted, annoyed.

"Ara, I guess we should get ready them. We don't want Mother to get mad," said Rias as she got up.

"Ah! I have to help Mother with breakfast today!" shouted Asia, hurriedly putting her pajamas back on.

I wonder what kind of day today will be like?

* * *

 ** _Later…_**

"Are you sure about this, Issei? You really don't have to," said Rias, looking troubled.

"It's fine, Buchou. I want to help out my junior to improve both for him and for our group," I said, smiling. I looked over and found Gasper fidgeting in his girl's uniform. Valerie let out a little 'Ufufu' at the sight of him and I sighed. Honestly, Gya-suke, you need to be a little manlier you know.

"Um…Issei-senpai, what do you want me to do exactly?" asked Gasper, nervously.

"Ah, well for one thing, you can't control your Sacred Gear properly right?" I began. Gasper nodded and I smiled. "Then let's start with that. The meeting is late tonight so we've got plenty of time to work."

"O-Ok," said Gasper.

"Now," I said while pulling out a dodgeball. "Stand over there by that tree and I will throw the ball at you. You can freeze time pretty well but you can't focus it on just one thing. Let's try using this ball as an example of what you want to freeze."

"E-Eh?! Issei-senpai is going to throw that at me?" asked Gasper, looking scared.

"Good luck, Gasper~," said Valerie from next to me. Gasper made a complicated expression before hesitantly walking to where I told him to go. Once there, he looked over at the ball and then at me before nodding.

Dammit Gasper, with those tears in your eyes it makes me feel like I'm doing something bad! I haven't even thrown it yet so just relax~~!

"Ready…set…go!" I said as I threw the ball. Gasper stared straight at the ball as it flew towards his face. Right before it was going to hit him, Gasper froze time, failing. I smiled as I watched him move out of the ball's path and hide behind the tree before he restarted time.

"Eh? Where did Gasper-kun go?" said Asia from off to the side. I walked over to the tree and found Gasper hiding while clutching his head in fear.

"Senpai~…" moaned Gasper as he looked up at me with tears in his eyes. I smiled before lightly karate chopping him on the head.

"Yup, you failed," I said, smiling at him. Gasper looked at me…confused? I guess that's the best way to describe the way he looked. He had that familiarity in his eyes like he knew me but wasn't quite there. Maybe Gasper will remember soon?

* * *

It's been a few hours since we started training Gasper and Rias had left to work on some preparations with Sona-kaichou. Kiba went with her as well as Xenovia.

"Come on, Gasper, once more," I said, confident he would get it soon. Before, Gasper could already occasionally stop the ball before the meeting so I hope he can do it again.

I threw the ball again and Gasper just barely managed to stop only it before it hit his face. His eyes were glowing purple and I smiled before glancing around. Everyone looked surprised and impressed.

"Ara, good job Gasper-kun. You finally did it," said Akeno, smiling.

"Gasper-kun did it! Good job!" said Asia.

"Ufufu, Gasper is progressing so quickly," said Valerie, smiling.

"Good job, Gasper. Now, try to hold it there," I said, hoping her could.

"A-Ahhhhh…I don't think I-," said Gasper before suddenly losing his control. He shut his eyes as this connection was broken and the ball's momentum continued until it hit him right in the face. I looked at the scene with surprise and then Gasper, who was now on the floor, began sniffling.

"Gasper, are you alright?" I said as I walked over to him.

"U-Uwaaah! Issei-senpai, I don't want to do this kind of training! I don't like things that hurt!" cried Gasper, tears flowing. A vein popped out in my forward because I was actually worried about this crybaby and I clenched my fist before knocking him across the head.

"STOP CRYING YOU BABY~~~!" I shouted as I hit him. Gasper stopped crying and looked up at me in surprise while clutching his head. "Gasper! You're a boy so you shouldn't act like this! On top of that, you're a man of the Gremory so you _really_ can't act like this! We men of the Gremory have to be tough and strong so we can protect the girls! Do you think you can protect Valerie while being like this?!"

I realized after I shouted all that that I might've gone a bit far since Gasper was all frozen up. I didn't get a chance to say anything, though, since Gasper's eyes suddenly dimmed and we both received a massive headache.

"Ise-sama? Gasper?" asked Valerie, concerned.

"I think Gya-suke just recovered his memories," said Koneko-chan who had been silently eating snacks for the last few minutes.

"S-Senpai? W-What's going on?" asked Gasper, confused but clearly remembering everything from before.

"Ah, well it's good to see you back to normal, Gasper," I said, smiling. "I'll explain why we're back in time later. Now that you have your memories back, you should remember how to use your Sacred Gear properly now, right?"

"Eh? Yes, but why…?" said Gasper, still a little confused.

"Just act like you normally would around Rias since she still doesn't remember. Everyone else here besides Valerie has remembered the time before. Valerie and Yumi don't really have anything to remember so they won't be remembering anything. Ah, I shouldn't call her by name out loud yet," I said, before hearing Kiba's voice.

"I don't know why they moved up the time either, Yuuto," said Rias, answering Kiba's question which I hadn't heard.

"Ara, Rias, what's going on?" asked Akeno.

"Onii-sama told me that they moved up the time since they finished setting up to activate the barrier earlier than expected. He thinks it's because people from the Fallen Angel's side and Heaven helped speed up the process more than we thought they would. The meeting is going to happen just after sunset instead of closer to midnight," said Rias, calmly.

"Eh? So soon? That's only in a couple hours…" said Asia.

"Yes, so we don't have much time. I'm sorry, Gasper. We'll have to cut your training short," said Rias. "How has it gone, Issei? I know you only had a few hours."

"Ah, well, it went well. Gya-suke was already able to stop the ball, though it was only once and only for a few seconds," I explained.

"So soon? He's progressing quickly. I guess Issei's tough love worked him harder," said Rias, giggling a bit. "Well, anyways, Akeno, we'll need to prepare a few things before the meeting."

"What would that be?" asked Akeno, curious.

"I'd like for Gasper to stay in the clubroom. That's the first thing. It would be bad if his powers suddenly activated. Valerie and Koneko, would you mind keeping him company?" asked Rias.

"Yes, Buchou."

"I wouldn't mind," said Koneko-chan and Valerie, respectively.

"We should also clean up the clubroom in case Onii-sama or the other leaders wants to pass by. Since they all know Issei except Serafall-sama they might be interested in talking to him somewhere after the meeting," continued Rias while she was going into thought.

"Ara, lots to clean then," said Akeno before turning to me. "We'll see you in a bit then, Ise. Don't do too mu-!"

Akeno suddenly cut off mid-word and Koneko-chan and I were suddenly on alert, Koneko-chan even releasing her ears and tail.

"Akeno?" I asked, tears suddenly streaming down her face.

"Eh? W-Why am I?" said Akeno, flustered. She looked clearly surprised by what was happening and all of us were tense. I walked over to Akeno and hugged her into my chest while she clutched my shirt.

After a few minutes, Akeno seemed to calm down so we moved into the clubroom, Rias looking stressed.

"Akeno, what happened?" asked Rias.

"I'm…not quite sure," said Akeno, who was sitting next to me on the couch. "I just meant to tell Ise a quick goodbye and I was suddenly filled with all of these strange emotions. They passed after a moment but they were so intense. That must have been why I was crying but…why?"

"Ise-senpai, you felt it, too, right?" asked Koneko-chan, her ears and tail hidden again.

"Yes, and I don't know what it was either," I said.

"Care to share?" asked Rias, sounding annoyed.

"Ah, sorry Buchou. Koneko-chan and I both felt something strange in Akeno's touki," I said, surprising Rias and several of the others.

"But, Akeno-san can't control her ki like Ise-san and Koneko-chan, right?" asked Asia.

"Touki is ki that is in all living things. It exists and can be affected whether or not you can control it. It's how I can use my ki on others even if they don't know how to use ki," explained Koneko-chan.

"Yeah. Right as Akeno stopped speaking I felt something in her touki that felt like…a powerful surge? I guess that would be the best way to describe it. It was very, very intense. I don't think it was something natural but no one around could have done that to her. Even I'm not good enough at ki control to cause a wave like that," I said, causing everyone to look more confused.

"What kind of emotions did Akeno-fukubuchou feel? Maybe that could give us some kind of connection," suggested Xenovia.

"When I saw Ise's face I felt many emotions at once. Relief, sadness, happiness, all of them were almost heart-breaking. Like someone seeing their deceased loved ones again. I don't know what could have brought it on," said Akeno, still confused.

"I don't really understand either. You've never had a reaction like this. I think we should ask Azazel-sensei about it after the meeting. He knows us well so he might have an idea," I said, concerned.

"Well, for now I think it would be best for you to stay here with the others, Akeno. Asia, can you please help me finish the preparations?" asked Rias, receiving a nod from Asia. As she passed Akeno, she placed her hand on Akeno's shoulder. "Please rest up, Akeno. I don't know what is going on but I hope you'll feel better soon."

"Thank you, Rias," said Akeno, smiling at her. Rias returned the smile and left with Asia. Once the two were gone, I sat and thought, deeply, about what Akeno said. I remembered the dream I had had last night. The one that seemed too real. I wonder if these two things are connected?

* * *

This was it. Rias, Kiba, Asia, Xenovia, and I approached the door to the meeting room. I could feel the anticipation as the three leaders, who I had all interacted with, were in the room, ready to start negotiations. I hoped no one would say anything to make Rias angrier with me than she already was with all the things I've kept from her.

 _Knock Knock_

Rias knocked her hand on the door before taking a breath.

"Excuse us," said Rias as she opened the door. She walked in first and I followed closely behind her. Rias was walking stiffer than she usually did and I guess it was from nervousness.

At the large, round table by the windows sat Sirzechs-sama, Serafall-sama, Michael-san, and Azazel-sensei. Irina was at Michael-san's right while Sona-kaichou and Tsubaki-senpai stood against the wall behind our Maou. Vali was also there, standing a bit behind Azazel-sensei.

Irina didn't look happy to see Xenovia and she frowned and turned her head when Xenovia looked at her.

"Let me introduce them – She is my younger sister, Rias, and her household members. They were the ones who participated in stopping Kokabiel's assault. I have been told that all of you have met the one right next to Rias," said Sirzechs-sama.

"Yes, hello again Hyoudou-kun. Good work all of you with dealing with Kokabiel," said Michael-san, smiling.

"Sorry about the trouble it caused you guys," said sensei, nonchalantly. Even when he should be seriously apologizing, this guy shows so little interest.

"Now then, I believe it's time for this meeting to start," said Sirzechs-sama. Rias took that as a signal and all of us moved to the wall where Sona-kaichou and her Queen were. We stood against the wall, silent.

"Rias-chan~! Do you mind giving us all the details about the incident?" asked Serafall-sama in her upbeat voice.

"Yes," replied Rias before walking forward.

She explained everything that had happened, all of the leaders looking like they were listening diligently to her words.

"Those are all the facts that I, Rias Gremory, and my household members can state regarding the incident."

"I, Sona Sitri, attest to the fact that the report they have submitted is valid and true."

"Thank you, Rias-chan, Sona-chan," said Serafall-sama.

"Ara, Hyoudou-kun has gotten quite good at using his angelic powers, hasn't he?" said Michael-san, smiling brightly.

"I would like to ask the opinion of the Fallen Angel's Governor General, with regards to Rias' report," said Sirzechs-sama.

"I don't really need to say anything. It was an independent course of action by him anyway. After I picked him up, I punished him with Eternal Freezing, so he won't be bothering anyone anymore," explained Azazel-sensei.

"So, you state that you had nothing to do with it?" asked Sirzechs-sama.

"I simply allowed him to do what he wanted until his objective became clear. I planned to use him as an example for what not to do. My plan worked out well since he didn't anticipate I would infiltrate the city as well," said Azazel-sensei.

"The main issue here is the motive for the actions he took. I've hear that he feels quite unsatisfied with you in general, is that correct?" asked Michael-san.

"Yeah, he's still sore about the fact that the Great War ended so half-assed. He's always been a war freak. I'm not interested in war anymore. I'm too busy with my research to even find war interesting. Well, either ways, we all have our own issues at hand, right?" asked Azazel-sensei.

"That's not what we're talking about," said Serafall-sama, sounding annoyed.

"Bah, let's just stop all this bothersome talk. We should just declare peace already so we can move on," said sensei.

"Eh?" said Rias in a hushed voice. She seemed surprised and I tried to act like it too.

"The original purpose for this meeting…it was for that, right?" asked Azazel-sensei, grinning at the other leaders.

"The original Maou and God are no longer around, so since the ones who were the center of the war are gone, that should mean something for us. That's what you mean, correct?" asked Sirzechs-sama.

"Yes. Which is why I'd like to hear the ideas of these two powerful beings who are not directly associated with the three main powers, but can potentially affect the entire world with their capabilities," said Azazel-sensei before grinning. "The Red Dragon Emperor. The White Dragon Emperor. What do you think?"

"Is Azazel playing favorites by bringing up his two students?" asked Sirzechs-sama, smiling.

"Arara, to think Azazel is playing favorites with his precious students," said Michael-san, sounding like he was teasing sensei.

"Whether they're my students or not is irrelevant. They're both at a level far beyond most of our underlings. And their growth has just begun. I think their input is important, so I ask again, what do you two think?" asked Azazel-sensei, glancing at me and then at Vali.

"I'm fine as long as I can find someone strong enough to face me. I'm sure some of those god-class being have gotten bored, sitting on their precious thrones," said Vali, that passionate glint in his eye.

"Heh, even without a war, there are plenty of strong guys out there. You won't have any problems," said Azazel-sensei before turning back to me.

"I wasn't really expecting this kind of question," I lied while scratching my cheek. "Well, I guess if I had to say, I'd prefer peace. If it's peace then I would be able to focus on my goal of becoming Harem King without bothersome distractions."

"That is true. Issei-kun wouldn't be able to conquer many girls and marry my sister if there was a war going on," said Sirzechs-sama, sounding like he completely understood my thoughts.

"O-Onii-sama~…" groaned Rias, blushing in embarrassment. Ah~, Rias you look so cute when you act like that~!

"Ah, Michael-san, while I have your attention, could I please make a request?" I asked, seriously.

"As long as it isn't anything too grandiose, I wouldn't mind. What is it, Hyoudou-kun?" asked Michael-san, looking curious.

"Asia and Xenovia, they were devout believers of God and still are. I was hoping you would be able to allow them to pray again," I asked.

"Those two?" asked Michael-san as he looked past me to Asia and Xenovia. "Ah, I remember now. Asia Argento, one who possesses Twilight Healing and was exiled after healing a devil and Xenovia Quarta who was banished after learning of God's death. I offer my greatest apologies to the suffering you both had to endure. Due to the nature of the System, it is necessary to eliminate anything that could corrupt the faith that keeps the System continuing onward. I will, with some tinkering, be able to allow you both to pray again, if you would like it."

"Y-Yes! Thank you, Michael-sama!" said Asia, happily.

"Thank you as well, Michal-sama," said Xenovia, smiling.

"I appreciate your help with this, Michael-san," I said, smiling at him.

"It is no problem, Hyoudou-kun. I am grateful that, even though they suffered because of their faith, those two still hold strong belief. I look forward to hearing their prayers," said Michael-san, happily.

Before further talks could continue, I felt a surge of power and magic suddenly cover the school despite being inside a barrier. I glanced around to find Sona-kaichou and Tsubaki-senpai frozen in place and sighed. So, Gasper was captured again? Well, he doesn't have the best offense and he just regained his memories.

"What's going on?" asked Rias, surprised.

"It seems that time is frozen," said Azazel-sensei.

"And only us with higher capabilities were unaffected," said Sirzechs-sama.

"The faction leaders, we with the power of dragons, the two Holy-sword wielders, that one who has reached Balance Breaker state and was protected by his Holy-Demonic powers, as well as those in contact with each other," said Vali, calmly.

I glanced back to find that Asia wasn't affected due to being protected by Durandal because she was touching Xenovia. Rias was touching me so she was also alright.

"What could it be, Michael-sama?" asked Irina before looking around, suspiciously.

 _Boom!_

We looked outside after hearing the loud explosion and found people appearing using hundreds of magic circles. The people began to shoot beams of magic at the building we were in but it was being blocked by powerful protective magic cast over the building.

"Geez! All these magicians are here and they left me, the Magical Girl, out of it!" shouted Serafall-sama, pouting.

"That aside, what is this strange power?" asked Michael-san, sounding concerned.

"They must have captured the half-vampire boy from the Gremory's group. His Sacred Gear can stop time so they must be forcibly activating it. After all, it isn't strong enough to do all this for more than a minute," said Azazel-sensei.

"We had three people with Gasper. Akeno and Koneko…Valerie as well. How dare these terrorists threaten and take advantage of my servants," said Rias, her eyes glowing a bit.

"We'll have to hurry and deal with this. If they are forcefully activating his Sacred Gear then even we will begin to be affected," said Sirzechs-sama.

"It's because of his mutation piece," I said, simply.

"Yes. Just like your five mutation pieces, Gasper's piece will also allow him to become incredibly strong. We'll have to move quickly," said Rias, glaring at the enemy forces.

"I don't feel Gasper's touki at the old school building anymore but they might be blocking me. What do you want to do, Buchou?" I asked, curious.

"I think we should go anyways. Onii-sama, I will use Castling to get there quickly," said Rias, calmly.

"I'm uncomfortable with allowing you to go there alone, Rias," said Sirzechs-sama, concerned.

"With Sirzechs-sama's abilities, you should be able to allow another to go with her," said Grayfia-san, who I hadn't noticed. She appeared from the corner of the room, silently.

"That is true…Issei-kun, would you mind?" asked Sirzechs-sama.

"Yes! I would be honored. I also want to get revenge on the enemy for threatening my precious comrades," I said, simply.

"I think I'll enjoy wiping out the enemy outside, then," said Vali, releasing his Divine Dividing dragon wings.

"That's a good idea. Go and get a little exercise," said Azazel-sensei, waving Vali off.

Vali was gone in a moment, already outside fighting the magicians.

"Let's go and find Gasper, Buchou!" I said, seriously. Rias smiled and nodded before grabbing hold of my hand.

"Issei-kun, I'm counting on you to protect Rias," said Sirzechs-sama.

"Yes, sir!" I said, giving a thumbs up.

"We'll be back soon," said Rias, confidently before a large red magic circle appeared on the ground. We both disappeared from the room instantly and I wondered how things would change this time around.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **It was shorter than I wanted but I really want to plan out how I want the rest to go before I write more.**_

 _ **Please, please let me know what you guys think, especially about the foreshadowing at the beginning.**_

 _ **Until next time, which will be before mid-October, byeee :D**_


	38. Volume 4 Life 1

_**2017**_

 _ **Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Oh my goshhhhhhhh! I barely made it on time for this. I meant to finish and post last week but I caught my brother's cold and I finally started feeling well enough to write. T_T**_

 _ **Anyways, this chapter is...crazy, to say the least. I hope you guys enjoy it and that it is well received.**_

 _ **Also, I received a request to post the date but I'll just post the year. Hope that's okay~~!**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.1**

 _Rias POV_

We appeared inside of one of the rooms of the Old School Building after Onii-sama had helped with the Castling. The room was dark since the lights were off but my attention was drawn towards the window where I could see the main school building suddenly explode. I hope everyone's alright…

"What's going on…?" I heard Issei say, sounding frustrated.

"What's going on, Issei? Do you feel something with your ki?" I asked.

"I can sense Akeno, Valerie, and Koneko-chan but Gasper isn't here. I don't sense anyone else in or immediately around the clubhouse either," said Issei. I was surprised but not very much.

"Let's go and talk to the others," I said before running from the room. Issei followed me and we made our way upstairs to the clubroom, bursting through the doors.

"Ise-sama!"

"Senpai, Buchou!" said Valeria and Koneko, respectively.

"Akeno, Koneko, what happened? Where is Gasper?" I asked, looking around. There wasn't any evidence of a struggle. "And how are none of you affected?"

"I used my Holy lightning to protect Koneko and myself, but it won't last long. Valerie said she used her Sacred Gear, though I don't know how she used it," explained Akeno. "I'm sorry, Rias. They took him right out from under us. Koneko thought something felt off and was using ki to monitor the area when a magic circle suddenly opened up. An arm came out and pulled Gasper through before we even had a chance. They must have known there were too many of us to restrain quickly so they just took him to wherever they are."

"I don't sense him anywhere nearby but all the magic is blurring everything out. Koneko-chan and I won't be able to find him properly with our ki. Rias, can you feel Gasper's piece?" asked Issei.

"Barely. When I was inside the main school building I couldn't but now I can. There must have been too much magical interference. It feels like he's nearby. Maybe…the forest? The forest behind the school building might be a good place to hide," I said, feeling around. Gasper's piece is definitely in the direction of the forest. How far, I'm not sure, but the edge of the barrier isn't far from here so it couldn't be very far away.

"Valerie, please take care of Akeno until she recovers more. Koneko-chan, come with us. We need to protect Buchou in case the magicians try anything," said Issei, seriously.

Ah~…Issei has the same look in his eye that he had last time an enemy hurt one of us. Honestly, this cute servant of mine has the same kind of love for his comrades as any member of the Gremory household. He was truly a good person to make my servant.

"Ise-sama, Rias-sama, Koneko-san, please save Gasper. I just reunited with him and I don't want to have to separate from him again. Please…bring me my little Gasper back," said Valerie, her eyes glassy.

"Of course!"

"Yes!"

"You can count on us," said Issei, Koneko, and myself, respectively.

"I won't let these people do as they like with my precious servants. Let's crush them into dust," I said, my power surging.

Gasper…we're coming for you.

* * *

Issei, Koneko, and I were currently running into the small forest behind the old school building and I could feel more magic as we ran through it. After running for a few minutes, I could see a dim orange light coming through the leaves and I prepared myself for a fight.

We broke through some bushes and found ourselves face to face with a group of about ten magicians as well as Gasper who was being held down by a large, complex orange magic circle.

"Gasper!" shouted Issei, sounding angry. I was too.

"B-Buchou…Issei-senpai…Koneko-san…I'm sorry. They caught me by surprise…" said Gasper. He had tears in his eyes and it looked like his Sacred Gear was being forcefully activated.

"Gya-suke doesn't have the strength to break out of that magic circle," said Koneko, releasing her cat ears and tail.

"What are devils doing here?"

"They shouldn't have been able to use magic circles to get over here so quickly."

"We need to eliminate them before they interfere."

The magicians were talking amongst themselves as if we couldn't hear them.

"You all," I said, my aura flaring up. This seems to have gotten their attention. "How dare you attack one of my precious servants and use him as some sort of tool. I hope you weren't hoping to live through this."

"You won't try anything," said one of the magicians as they moved towards Gasper. "Or else, we won't hesitate to hurt him."

The magician pulled out a dagger and help it up to Gasper's throat, furthering angering me.

"You…" said Issei. I could feel his aura flaring up as well, though his was much greater than mine. "…are you threatening one of my precious comrades?"

"Comrade? Pfft…this _thing_ is just something that could be a useful tool. You all haven't been using it correctly but we have and will," said the magician, sneering at us.

"Issei," I began, absolutely furious. "Show our guests what happens when they attack my lovely servants and our precious comrades."

"With pleasure," said Issei, simply, before disappearing. He reappeared next to the magician holding the dagger to Gasper and slapped her away such that she smashed into two other magicians and they all flew through a nearby tree, said tree toppling to the ground.

"W-What was that?"

"He must be the dangerous one they warned us about."

"Damn, was the restraining field not enough for someone like him?"

The remaining magicians were in disarray.

"Gasper," said Issei, turning to him. He bit his thumb hard and then held it over to Gasper. "You have to break out of this yourself. Show your resolve and take my blood. A dragon's blood."

"Issei-senpai…" said Gasper, looking happy to be saved by Issei. Issei held his hand over Gasper and a drop of blood fell from his hand. I was surprised when the hemophobic Gasper opened his mouth wide to accept the blood. The moment it entered his mouth, his eyes suddenly glowed brightly and he disappeared from the magic circle he was on.

"What?!"

"But we were controlling his Sacred Gear! How did he escape?"

"Ah look!"

One of the magicians pointed out a large group of bats flying around.

"He transformed, the damn monster!"

The bats flew around each of the magicians who tried to swat them away by shooting beams of light from their foreheads. The bats continued to swarm and purple hands began to extend out around many of the magicians.

"Agh! What is this?"

"He's trying to suck our blood?"

"No, our energy!"

The magicians were in even greater disarray now and they tried shooting more beams of magic to try and get Gasper away. Some of the beams flew towards Koneko and myself but were stopped in a glowing purple light.

"He can even stop things like this?" said one of the magicians.

"You can't escape from me. I can see all," said Gasper, ominously. Truly, Gasper is the best type of person to receive Balor's Eye. In his multi-bat form each of the bat's eyes work independently, meaning his sight range increases exponentially. "Everyone, I can finish here. I will suck out their energy and meet you all afterwards. Please go and protect the school."

"Gasper, are you sure?" I asked, feeling unsure. One of Gasper's bats flew over to me and his bat eyes glowed.

"I'm sure Rias-buchou. Thank you for believing in me. I have to act properly as a man of the Gremory and defeat the ones who attacked us," said Gasper's bat. I smiled and pat the bat.

"We'll see you soon," I said. The bat made a nodding motion and then flew back to continue assaulting the magicians.

When did Gasper grow so strong? Since Issei joined us, all my cute servants have gotten so impressive. I'll have to keep up or I'll be put to shame.

"Buchou, Azazel-sensei seems to be fighting with the others," said Issei.

"Yes, I saw an explosion at the main school building. They must have been attacked," I said. Issei nodded and we three ran off again, this time to fight a larger force.

* * *

Issei, Koneko, and I arrived at the scene to find Yuuto and Xenovia fighting off groups of magicians. I also noticed that girl, I believe her name was Irina, fighting alongside them. Off to the side, Onii-sama, Michael, Serafall-sama, Sona, Onee-sama and the others were inside a dome shaped barrier created by the three leaders inside. Azazel was off fighting someone strong and was mostly ignoring us.

"Kiba!" shouted Issei before shooting a Dragon Shot that defeated two magicians. They were about to attack Kiba in his blind spot while he was distracted with other magicians.

"Thanks, Ise-kun!" said Kiba before jumping back in.

"Issei! Loan me Ascalon!" said Xenovia, holding out her free hand. Issei pulled Ascalon from his gauntlet and threw it towards her. She caught it and then quickly decapitated a magician.

"Rias, this won't do much good unless we can take care of all those transportation circles," said Onii-sama.

"I can help with that," said Issei, coming up from behind me. He lifted up his hands and created a medium sized light spear in mid-air, receiving an impressed 'Oooh' from Michael. "Multiply!"

[Multiplication!]

The light spear then became two without either changing in size or brightness from before.

"Ooooh!" said Michael, sounding more impressed than before.

"Again!" shouted Issei.

[Multiplication! Multiplication! Multiplication!]

The two spears then became four then eight then sixteen. It seems like this power can multiply any number of attacks by two, just like how the Boosted Gear doubles Issei's power.

Issei continued his [Multiplication] until there was an uncountable number of spears floating in the air.

"HAAAAAAHHHHH!" shouted Issei as he suddenly thrust all the spears out, each flying at high speed towards the transportation magic circles. There was thousands of small explosions at once and…all the magic circles were gone!

"Impressive, Issei-kun," said Onii-sama.

"To think he's come this far in using his angelic powers! The Lord must be watching over his growth!" said Michael, sounding much happier than I expected.

"Good job, Issei. Now we can end this more quickly," I said, creating a magic circle above me. I released large amounts of demonic energy mixed with the power of Destruction. The magicians who were caught up in it were all exterminated and I smiled. I can't do the crazy things my precious pawn can do, but even I can clean up this enormous pile of trash!

* * *

After a while of clearing up more of the magicians, I felt a surge of power and turned to see someone dressed in golden armor. I could tell it was Azazel from his Fallen Angel wings before he promptly put them away. I noticed that Issei's Boosted Gear was glowing a bright green but he seemed to be ignoring it in favor of defeated another group of magicians.

Azazel and the woman he was fighting clashed again and he gave her a mortal wound. I'm not sure who she is, but it seems she's no match for this new power of Azazel's. The woman's arms stretched out, suddenly, and multiplied in a strange way before taking hold of Azazel's arm. Her body began to glow with strange markings and she screamed out something unintelligible. I'm not sure what she said but Azazel then promptly cut off his arm, causing Issei to flinch and look over at Azazel. Azazel created a magic circle to stop the bleeding before throwing his glowing spear at the woman, killing her and causing her to disappear into ash.

After defeating her, Azazel released his armor and put away a purple jewel. Issei flew up to his with his devil wings, swatting away any attacking magicians as he went. I followed him, mostly out of curiosity.

"Sensei, you didn't have to sacrifice your arm to defeat someone weak like that, right?" asked Issei, pouting.

"Bah, it's nothing. I have that mechanical arm I've been designing so now I have a use for it. Anyways, things seem to be a little boring for guys as strong as us, right?" asked Azazel, grinning as he watched Issei swat away two other magicians with ki.

"Just a bit, I actually wanted to mention. Something happened earlier with Akeno," said Issei, deciding now was a good time to have this discussion. I guess for people of his level, he's decided that these magicians aren't dangerous enough to even worry about.

"Akeno? Is that why she didn't come to the meeting?" asked Azazel, looking concerned.

"Her ki was suddenly disturbed and she started crying. Her emotional state and touki are still unstable so I asked her to take it easy as much as possible. I don't understand what could have caused something like that," said Issei.

"Hmm…that's strange. I'll have to- Guh!" said Azazel, shocking me. He suddenly had tears streaming down his face. Issei looked troubled and Koneko flew up using her devil wings, her ears and tail out.

"Senpai! Again," said Koneko, looking worried.

"Sensei, are you alright? Your ki just had the same reaction. What's going on?" asked Issei, panicking. A magic circle suddenly appeared enxt to my ear and I heard a voice.

 _"Rias, what's going on? I felt Azazel's energy become disturbed,"_ said Onii-sama from the other side of the line.

"I'm not sure. It seems to be the same reaction as to what happened with Akeno. One minute, they're talking to Issei and the next, their ki, according to Issei and Koneko, is disrupted. They said that they can't feel anyone within range that could have possibly done such a thing so we don't really understand," I explained before waiting for Onii-sama's answer. Before I received it, though. I saw Issei and Azazel suddenly become blurry. I tensed up for a moment, confused. I rubbed my eyes and saw they were doing it again. I glanced around and could see everything else clearly so why…?

"Senpai!" shouted Koneko, causing me to turn back around. Issei and Azazel blurred more than before until they suddenly disappeared. I stare wide-eyed, wondering just what in the world was going on.

* * *

 _Ise POV_

Everything changed so strangely. I was on the battlefield and then everything around me blurred out and I was in this strange place. I could tell that I was in a room but everything, the ceiling, the walls, the floor, was pure white. It was so bright it burned my eyes to stare too long. The only defining features of this place was the long dining table that had ten seats, five on each side, and the simple doorway that was dark. I looked around and then at Azazel-sensei who seemed to still be reeling from his ki suddenly going out of control.

"Sensei, do you have any idea…?" I asked.

"No, not even close. I couldn't even feel any magic being used, though I'm not myself right now. I mean, I'm missing an arm and that strange feeling from before…Ise, stay close to me. I don't know what we could be up against," said sensei, seeming nervous. I'd never seen him so nervous and worried before.

We suddenly heard the loud clacking of footsteps and followed the sound with our ears. It was coming from the dark doorway but we couldn't see anyone through it. The sound got louder as time passed and we finally saw a white shoe pass through the darkness, though the rest of the person was hidden in the strange darkness.

A man walked through the doorway made his way across the room to us without saying a word of even much of a facial expression. The man had fair skin and a white, pointed beard that extended a few inches off his face. He had thick white brows and his neat, white hair was covered by his white top hat. He had a white tuxedo on and a white bowtie. His shoes were also white. His cane, which he held up at his side, was also white, but at the top was a round, golden object that almost looked like a clock face.

He stopped a few feet from us and looked us over with his golden eyes that seemed to stare right into my soul. He licked his lips, looking like he was going to say something, but instead too his cane out from under his arm and then put both his hands on the end of the cane. He paused for a moment and then slammed the cane down onto the ground, causing a loud 'Boom' that echoed in the room. At the same time, giant transparent clock faces formed around him, one for each of us. He glanced up at them, then at us, and nodded as if he had understood something.

"Hello there," said the man in a deep, but strong voice. "I apologize, you must be confused."

"Who are you, and why did you bring us here?" asked Sensei, looking annoyed.

"Ah, well, why we brought you here is quite the complicated matter. It is not something I can explain simply. Ah, yes, and my name. I cannot even remember the last time I had to give someone my name. Well, to put it simply, my name is Father Time, he who has all authority and knowledge of time itself."

I stared in shock, since I had never heard of someone like him existing. I know that, as someone who is now a big part of mythology, I shouldn't be surprised, but Father Time is just some character from books isn't he? Not actually a god or anything.

I glanced over at sensei to find he was just as shocked, confusing me. I thought sensei knew about these kinds of things?

"Y-You're Father Time? That's impossible. He doesn't exist. There's no such person as Father Time," said Azazel-sensei.

"And yet here I am, in the flesh. Well, figuratively of course. I've existed long before 'flesh' and 'life' ever existed," said Father Time, confusing us. "Come and sit, we have much to talk about."

He began to walk towards the dining room table and we followed him with our eyes. The two clocks in the air disappeared but Father Time just kept walking. He made it to the table and sat on the other side before staring us down.

I looked towards sensei, wondering what to do, and he nodded before walking to the table. I followed him and we both sat across from Father Time.

"To begin in the simplest terms I can fathom, dragon child, you've been a naughty boy, filling _my_ time stream with such entropy," said Father Time, confusing me.

"Entropy is chaos, Ise. To be filled with it means that thing has become chaotic. I assume he's angry with you for going back in time and mudding up the time stream," said sensei, seeing that I didn't understand what Father Time meant.

"Ah, I'm sorry about that. I didn't think it would cause you trouble, I just didn't want to die at that point since I had a lot to live for," I said, honestly. I did and still do. All of my loved ones and for all of my dreams, as well as for the future of the Underworld as a devil with 'great potential' as I was once told.

"I do not enjoy it, and I would normally punish it, though this has never happened before," said Father Time.

"No one's ever gone back in time before? If Ophis knows the spell then it must have been known by others at some point," asked Azazel-sensei, looking like he was excited for new information. Well, he is a research nut.

"Of course not. All who are aware of the spell know inherently to never use it. It is a mystery to me why the spell exists at all. Also, the spell is known and only usable by a select group of beings," said Father Time. "My annoyance with your use of the spell aside, it wouldn't have made much a difference either ways. He would have saved you either ways, though I do believe another way may have caused less issues."

"Issues? Does that have anything to do with the unexplainable feeling I had earlier?" asked Sensei.

"Quite," said Father Time, seriously, before sighing. "Agh! This is so inefficient. Honestly, I cannot fathom how some of the others have become used to communicating with you lesser beings. Not being omniscient must be so very inconvenient."

"You said 'we' before and now 'others'. Are there other beings like you? That aren't supposed to exist but do?" I asked, curious.

"Hm? Ah, yes of course…Are you just going to watch? You are the one who was interested in him to begin with," said Father Time, not talking to anyone in particular.

A magic circle, well, one in the shape of a door, appeared behind Father Time, on his left side. The magic door was a golden color and was very complex, more so than one I had ever seen before. In the center was a golden cross that made my devil senses go wild but made my angelic senses calm down. The conflicting feelings were unsettling and I wondered in the world was going to come through that door. Someone walked through the door, just phasing through it rather than opening it. The moment they came through, Azazel-sensei was on his feet, his chair knocked over behind him and on the floor. His face was such a mix of emotions that I couldn't understand what sensei was thinking. The only emotion that really stood out was complete and utter disbelief. Like he was seeing someone even more ridiculous than someone who wasn't supposed to exist, like Father Time.

The one who came out was clearly a man from his body type, but I couldn't see his face. There wasn't anything blocking it, I just couldn't see it. Like my eyes were seeing him but my brain wasn't registering it. I could at least tell that the person in front of me was someone of incredible power considering the barely suppressed holy aura around him. Although I couldn't see his face, I could see that there was a glowing, golden aura behind his head that reminded me of a halo but was filled in rather than being a ring.

"L-LORD?" asked Azazel-sensei, in complete shock. I could feel the warmth of a smile on the man's face but I still couldn't see it.

"Hello, little Azazel," said the man in a warm voice.

He spoke with sensei like a parent would speak with their child and I felt shock as I began to put the pieces together.

"But how…you were…?" asked Azazel-sensei, still in shock.

"There are many things to think of little Azazel, but first, shall I be introduced?" asked the man.

"O-Of course," said sensei. "Ise, this is exactly who you think this is. This is God from the Bible."

"E-Ehhhh?!" I said in shock. "B-But, I thought God from the Bible died in the Great War along with the old Maou?"

"That's what I thought, too. I'm more confused than I've ever been," said Sensei, now glaring at the two across from us.

"Sit and we shall speak. Time does not flow here so we could speak for an eternity if you wish," said God from the Bible.

Sensei was more tamed than the time I saw him with Zeus and Poseidon during the Rating Game of Rias versus Sairaorg. He turned to pick up his chair that he had knocked over but it was already standing normal again, ready for him to sit. He sat down and pulled in his seat, looking over at the two across from him.

"Now to begin. Issei," began God from the Bible, surprising me. "You are probably conflicted on how to call me. Using LORD as little Azazel does would be strange for a devil such as yourself. Please refer to me as Elohim."

"O-Of course Elohim-sama! I'm honored to be able to speak with someone like yourself," I said, nervously.

"He is such a kind-hearted fellow. I enjoy those with pure hearts and honest desires. What do you think, Time?" asked Elohim-sama.

"It irritates me that he caused entropy in my time stream but it _is_ interesting to witness a second timeline. Every change he has made has had an impact on the future so I have been able to see an alternative," said Father Time.

"LORD," said Azazel, breaking into the conversation. "How did you survive? Everyone thought you died. Michael and the other Seraph, they miss you, you know?"

"Of course, I am aware. I know all that goes on with my children," began Elohim-sama. "It is believed that I 'perished' after exhausting all my energy to seal away the apocalyptic beast 666 but in reality I merely sealed him away and left the material world."

"But why? Why leave everything behind?" asked Azazel-sensei.

"Because I was no longer necessary," said Elohim-sama, simply, surprising Azazel-sensei. "I had perfected the very delicate workings of the System such that the world could continue to function without my presence. Of course, it continues to draw holy energy from myself however that is all that I continue to do. The ideals of the old demon lords and myself were no longer valid in the future to come. I wiped out the demon lords who polluted the minds of the younger generations of devils and then removed myself. Originally, the Apocalypse was to occur nearing the end of the Great War, however I decided against it. I could see that my children and all other beings were coming together in ways I did not believe possible with the stubborn ways of the other mythological groups. I realized that my own ideals would prevent all my children from becoming a part of this blossoming world so I removed myself. I instead gave my love and support from a place unseen. Even now, I have manipulated factors in the world to allow for the best possible outcomes."

"What is the best possible outcome? What's happening in the world right now that you needed to intervene? What about what Father Time said about another timeline?" asked Sensei.

"Did you think the other timeline just disappeared when you left, dragon child?" asked Father Time, surprising me again. "Even now that timeline continues forward, without you."

"Are these strange effects a part of that? Was my theory correct?" asked Azazel-sensei.

"Your theory, based on the humans' idea that every action creates an alternate timeline. An alternate universe. The…multiverse theory, I believe is what it is called. Your theory is that if one were to go back in time, something the humans had deemed impossible, then they would suffer 'temporal backlash' from the original timeline that they were from," said Father Time.

"Yes. I assume that it affects us and not Ise because we inherited memories from the previous timeline," said Sensei.

"Yes. It is correct," said Father Time before sighing at my confused expression. Child, imagine that in all the universes that could exist there is a being who exists in all of them, in this case both universes. For this explanation, let us use this man here as the example. One of him exists in both universes but that does not mean that there are two of him, correct? He is still himself in both universes. When you think of it that way, you would think 'there must be something that connects them' otherwise they would not be considered the same despite being separate. The thing that connects them is their spirit, their soul. The soul is the basis for every life and connects a being to their other selves across the multiverse. What do you think would happen, though, if something were to happen to one of their selves? Well, normally nothing. Except the connection this man has with the other universe is significantly greater due to him having a copy of all the memories of his other self up to the point where the timelines were suddenly changed."

"So then, sensei and Akeno had that strange reaction because something happened to their selves in the other timeline?" I asked, beginning to understand.

"Yes, Issei," said Elohim-sama, taking control of the conversation. "I even gave you a glimpse into the other timeline as a foreshadowing of the dilemma to come. Your time travel has caused an even greater ripple than we originally anticipated. Since we beings are not normally allowed to participate in the workings of the world directly we are using you as a means to rewrite the wrongs."

"Not allowed to participate? You formed an entire religion and changed the flow of the world," said Azazel-sensei sounding annoyed.

"Only after great restrictions were placed on myself. I was only allowed to occupy the world with power equivalent to the strongest in the world at the time. Any more than that and an imbalance would have occurred. It is another reason I left," said Elohim-sama.

"So, what exactly am I supposed to do? I've become a lot stronger than I was before but I'm not even as strong as Sirzechs-sama or and of the god-class beings on Earth. If you need someone strong to help take care of this, I may not be enough," I said, worried.

"The threat will not become apparent for some time so you should be fine. Continue to train as you have been and you will be on track," said Father Time.

It is time for us to send you back. I hope you are prepared," said Elohim-sama.

"Eh?" I said.

"What? Wait, you can't send us back yet. We have so much more to understand about the situation," said sensei.

"You both have just taken in an enormous amount of information. Sort out your thoughts first. We plan to bring you back later on to help you understand how everything really works. Maybe more of you, though we'll have to be careful with how much interference we cause," said Father Time.

"We plan to send you both back five minutes after we took you. This will make things less abnormal when you return suddenly different than you were when you were last there. Take care and be sure to not speak of this to anyone until we give permission," said Elohim-sama.

"Wait!" said sensei and I together before suddenly finding ourselves back on the battlefield.

Sirzechs-sama, Rias, and everyone looked shocked to see us suddenly back but I couldn't even react. What in Maou's name did I just witness? What in Maou's name is going on?!

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?  
**_

 _ **I decided to write in Rias POV for the beginning because I really wanted to change things up from the constant Issei POV. Hope you guys liked it.**_

 _ **As for the later part...omg I finally wrote it. I've thought about this scene since near the beginning of the story and I've wanted to write it so much.**_

 _ **Some of you probably thought 'you brought God from the Bible back? why?' and I mean...it's not like I didn't do it because it would be cool...I mean, it's not like I wasn't a little sad that the god from the religion I practice is dead and gone in the DxD universe...**_

 _ **Anyways, enough being Tsundere. I seriously do hope this interested you guys and I hope that Father Time wasn't the hated being you guys remember from Gunmare's version. I want to build on this whole idea I have but I want your guys feedback first. Please let me know what you think. If you don't like it well...I'll try not to write as many scenes with them as I want to appease you guys but it's too late to take them out since they're pretty integral to the story.**_

 _ **The next chapter should be up by mid-November. Until next time...byeee :D**_


	39. Info Sheet 2

_**Please make sure to read the previous posted chapter before reading this Info Sheet.**_

 **-=-=-=-=-=-WARNING-=-=-=-=-=-**

 **THIS PAGE INCLUDES SPOILERS OF PAST CHAPTERS**

 **IF YOU JUST SKIPPED AHEAD TO THIS, YOU WILL BE SPOILED**

This page is a kind of Info Sheet for the story and will be updated after major events or whenever I feel like it. It will make it easier to keep up with events, people who've remembered, and abilities people have in this fic. I will also give extra information that I couldn't really fit into the chapters without having a character awkwardly explain it. I will not include any canon events or powers unless they weren't gained until AFTER the point where Issei came back in time, like [Diabolos Dragon] from later on in the canon series.

 **Powers** **:**

Issei:

-Ki Network & Ki Manipulation: Ability to accelerate the healing of others, coat body parts to improve attack and defense, and improve his own abilities

-Using his ki, Issei can protect himself from a certain level of damage caused by light. After passing that threshold, Issei will begin taking a lot of damage, as seen when he used his own light-based powers

-Elemental Ki Manipulation: Issei can consciously (or unconsciously) invoke an element in his ki. Due to the fact that Issei is only good at fire magic, he can only add a fire element to his ki. When using his Boosted Gear and Draconic powers, though, his natural dragon element changes his ki, making it more powerful. This form of ki is called Red or Crimson ki.

-Current wielder of Excalibur Rapidly

-Part-Angel: Issei was bestowed angelic powers by God's System, though his Dragon blood corrupted the angelic powers making his power to control light slightly weaker but he cannot fall. Residing in Heaven while having thoughts or performing action that might normally make him fall will still activate Heaven's defense mechanism. Also, because Issei has the body of a devil, light still hurts him, even if it is his own.

-Proficient Swordsmanship: After years of training, Issei has become an excellent swordsman, though he is not as good as Kiba after the training they had when visiting the Underworld prior to Rias and Sona's first Rating Game.

-Incredible Innate Power: Issei's many years of training has significantly boosted his innate power such that he can even withstand Gasper's Forbidden Balor View and can continue to move around while those who are weaker or unprotected by their own power are frozen in time.

-New Techniques:

-Great Fire Breath

-Divine Javelin A hyper-compressed high-level light spear

-Amser A welsh word meaning 'time' that is also a spell Azazel taught Issei to create a time-frozen separate space

-Compress A technique Issei is able to use that stems from his Dividing Gear. He has reached the level where he can use it without bringing out his Dividing Gear. The ability compresses the size of any object Issei wants to as small as possible.

-Crimson Arrow Light-spears coated in Issei's draconic ki turning them crimson. Their power is several times more powerful than a typical light spear and they are meant to be thrown in groups.

-Reality Smasher An ability akin to the forbidden move: Longinus Smasher. This is an ability Issei is only allowed to use inside separate spaces or he could cause massive damage to the real world. This attack surpasses Longinus Smasher and depletes most of Issei's reserves of energy causing him to pass out and can only be used once a month. This is the only attack in all mythologies known to require a chant to use it.

-Multiplication. An ability using the Boosted Gear that Issei created. Instead of using [Boost] to double the power of attacks, Issei can use [Multiplication] to increase the number of attacks. This does not work on higher tier attacks and is really meant to attack large number of enemies with weaker attacks (i.e. with normal light spears/dragon shots).

Reality Smasher Chant

 _I, whose power is without measure,_

 _Am the one who has denied destiny with the help of the Dragon God._

 _I have broken the reality of time, and reversed my own death._

 _I call upon the Power of the Heavenly Dragon sleeping inside of my Heart,_

 _And the essence of all things living and unliving,_

 _To unleash power that can bend the Universe to my will,_

 _So that I may become the Red Protector of Dreams!_

Akeno:

-Four-wings: Akeno has worked hard over the years since recovering her memory and has gained another pair of wings as proof. In the canon, she was only able to bring out more wings while using special bracelets made by Azazel. Due to all her training, her power, especially that of her light, has increased substantially.

-Light Shield: Using her powers of light and mixing it with lightning, Akeno is able to create an extremely powerful shield around herself. She can expand it to cover one or two other people but expanding it too much would compromise its strength. Currently, the shield hasn't been penetrated by anyone's attacks and, after the fight with Kokabiel, it is possible that only leader-class beings can actually injure anyone inside the shield.

-Enhanced Magical Energy: All of Akeno's intense training over the years has increased her inner source of magic and allows her to use stronger magic for longer than before.

Koneko:

-Improved Ki Control: Due to the fact that Koneko has only recently regained her memories, she isn't quite up to par with Issei and Akeno's difference in strength. Through Issei's guidance, Koneko has learned how to manipulate ki better than before but mostly for improving her offensive capabilities rather than defense. She also has yet to have been taught any other uses for ki.

Yumi:

-Hunter: Yumi, being under the contract of the Greek goddess Artemis, is a hunter-type. This means that she has many of the abilities that a typical hunter would.

-Yumi can hide her presence extremely well and is practically invisible to enemies in areas that aren't very open.

-She is able to calm herself down easily during fights which allows her to fight to the best of her ability

-Excellent Marksmanship

-Immense Holy Energy: From the experiments performed on Yumi during the Holy Sword Project, an enormous reserve of Holy energy was released in her body giving her endless supplies to use. She cannot, however, manifest this Holy energy in any way.

-Eagle Eye: An ability gained after constant worship to Artemis. Yumi's Eagle Eye ability causes her eyes to glow a dim orange when activated and allows her to see clearly up to 3 miles away. This, coupled with her Hunter ability Excellent Marksmanship, makes her a great sniper.

-Bow of the Legendary Hunter: A bow Yumi received from Artemis that is bound to her soul and can be manifested at will. The bow is made of wood from the famed tree Yggdrasil, gifted to Artemis from a Norse god trying to win her favor. The bow string is made from Artemis' own hair and is an excellent weapon for a Hunter-type warrior. The bow allows Yumi to shoot arrows at speeds that exceed the speed of sound.

-Spirit Arrow Quiver: A quiver gifted to her by the Greek goddess Hecate due to Azazel calling in a favor. Hecate created the quiver out of simple leather and bolts but enchanted it to be able to create spirit arrows from the holy energy in Yumi's body. (Think of the bound arrows from Skyrim) This quiver has been enchanted to be incredibly sturdy and can generate as many arrows as there is energy to use.

Valerie:

-Longinus Sephiroth Grail: Although Valerie's control over her Sacred Gear isn't very good as of yet, she is able to use it in a similar way to how she can in the LN. She can heal most non-fatal wounds but it takes longer than Asia's Twilight Healing and she has to be careful of the side effects. Azazel is currently helping her better understand how to use her Sacred Gear so as not to be affected by the side effects.

Father Time:

-Father Time is an ancient being born from the concept of 'time'. He is still a great mystery. I wonder who he is and what is his purpose.

God from the Bible:

-God from the Bible (AKA LORD, Elohim, Yahweh, etc.) is a being of immense power believed to have died during the Great War after using all his remaining power to seal away the dangerous Apocalypse Beast 666, or Trihexa. He said that he had actually used it as a cover to leave the world, and his followers, to their own devices for the future of the world. His true purpose in the world is shrouded in mystery. I wonder who he really is and what his true purpose is.

 **People Who Have Remembered** **:**

First - Yasaka/Kunou: Yasaka's memories were triggered after hearing a prophecy about a perverted red warrior with a great love of breasts. She was pregnant with Kunou and the change in her mental state after recovering her memories affected the energy in her body, causing Kunou to also recover her memories.

Second – Akeno: Akeno recovered her memories while Issei was protecting her from some neighborhood punks. The trigger was Issei proclaiming that he would protect her after beating up one of the punks.

Third – Vali: Vali recovered his memories after Azazel accidently let 'Ketsuryuukou' slip when Issei told him about the strange nickname his pupil had. Hearing that name immediately caused Vali and Albion to recover their memories.

Fourth – Azazel: Azazel recovered his memories after Vali had said 'Oppai Dragon' in response to 'Ketsuryuukou' causing Albion to cry.

Fifth - Koneko: Koneko remembered after a combination of hearing Issei call her Koneko-sama (after she had smashed him in the gut with her fist) and hearing him mention his dream to become a Harem King.

Sixth – Asia: Asia recovered her memories after reliving the day she and Issei went out to have fun as friends and finally hearing Issei say that he would protect her no matter what.

Seventh – Xenovia: Xenovia recovered her memories after feeling Issei's immense power and learning that he was a dragon. Her desire to make strong babies with him caused her to her recover her memories.

Eighth – Kiba: Kiba recovered his memories after hearing Issei talk about him being the irreplaceable Knight of the Gremory.

Ninth – Gasper: Gasper recovered his memories after being reminded by Issei about how he needed to become a proper "Man of the Gremory", an ideal Gasper has held highly and has helped him grow significantly stronger.

 **Questions I Haven't Answered in a Chapter** **:**

Alright, I've seen a lot of repeated questions so I decided to answer some of them here instead of just sending out PMs all the time.

-What about Akeno's mom?

Shuri Himejima's soul is still residing in the purple crystal which is presently in Ophis' possession back in Kyoto. She cannot be resurrected as of yet due to the fact that Azazel is still working on perfecting the cloning technology. Since he's mostly working on his own, only a couple others helping him, it's taken a long time to get it right. On top of that, they are also trying to make it so Shuri's new body will be able to last forever since it would be more painful to resurrect her just for her to die of old age in a hundred years which is like the blink of an eye for a devil or Fallen Angel.

-Will *so and so* be added to the harem?

Sona Sitri is not one of Issei's love interests and will not be in the harem. Yasaka, although interested in Issei, will not be a part of the harem. Gabriel will not be a part of the harem on account of the fact that she a seraph and should not engage in anything sinful like mating, especially not with a perverted devil like Issei who would definitely make her fall with his lust.

-When will everyone recover their memory?

The conditions for remembering is that some important (to that person) words or actions or both have to be performed in order for them to remember. If you guys can think of something that might make someone remember later in the story that is tied to Issei then that might be what I use. This whole remembering thing is going to go on for a while since I don't want to rush. This story is going to go on for a LONG time so no need to skip through anything.

-(Insert random question about Issei's new strength)

Issei has only ever used 60% of his maximum capacity (not counting Boosts) in any battle up until now. Issei's base power is somewhere around Maou level. There is a limit to how much he can Boost his power but, unless he was seriously trying to kill someone, he would never actually use a Boost to increase his power. Instead, all of his Boosts up until now have been used to put less strain on his body when using incredible amounts of aura for last ditch moves. One problem Issei had before is that he would run low on aura after a while so this time around, he's using the Boosts specifically on his total amount of aura, allowing him to fight longer.

Issei's power is held in check by 42 magical seals on his body that he can activate or release at will with Ddraig's help. Every ten percent up to 30% removes one seal (so 3 seals), from 30% to 60% is 3 seals(so 9 seals), 60% to 80% is 5 seals (so 10 seals), and 80% to 100% is 10 seals (so 20 seals).

-(Insert random comment about weird POV jumping)

So, I don't know how many of you read the LN (probably most of you since the events this stems from aren't in the anime or manga yet), but Ishibumi does that pretty often and with more characters than I do. I was never really interested in the POV change to people like Azazel or the bad guys but Kiba and Rias are two I always enjoyed. Third person is good for fights, too, so I wanted to use one of those. If you guys don't like it, well, I guess I could use them less often but one reason I use them is to get a different perspective on events that are similar to canon. Since Rias and Kiba still don't have their memory back, they're experiencing everything first hand so I thought it would be interesting.

To finish off with, guys I want you to know that I read EVERY SINGLE REVIEW that is made on my story so if you see others commenting something important like a plot error, you don't need to comment it. Instead, I'd love as much feedback as you can give me! I'm no well-versed author, just a weird fan who writes on the internet. I'm always looking to improve so give me all you got!


	40. Volume 4 Life 2

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Sorry guys, I'm on time for this new chapter but I was hoping to get it out earlier. Things got kind of hectic so I didn't have a chance.**_

 _ **I trimmed this chapter down just a bit because I don't want to cut up the next segment of the story. Hopefully it doesn't bother you gusy too much.**_

 _ **Anyways, ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.2**

Sensei and I, Hyoudou Issei, had just been transferred back to the battlefield after being in a different space with Father Time and Elohim-sama, also known as God from the Bible. They transferred us back while not telling us as much as we had hoped and we were still very confused.

"I-Issei?!" shouted Rias before flying up to us. "What happened?! Where did you go?! Onii-sama and I were planning to start drawing up a Dragon Gate to try summoning you back but you're back."

"Azazel, what happened to you two? I couldn't sense any traces of magic being used when you disappeared," said Sirzechs-sama. I could see Vali was also there, looking relieved to see sensei again.

"Ahhh…I can't believe something crazy like that just happened," said Sensei, sighing in annoyance.

"Are you alright, Azazel? You looked shaken up before you disappeared," said Michael-san.

"I'm fine, just exhausted. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you guys about what happened. Neither can Ise. We've been asked to keep quiet until they can give us a proper explanation on what the hell is going on," said Azazel-sensei.

"Azazel, you know that that isn't an answer," said Sirzechs-sama, looking angry now.

"Sirzechs-sama, it wasn't really something we had a choice in," I said, trying to cover for sensei. I hope this doesn't affect the treaty.

"Ise, I don't need my student covering for me," said Sensei. "Listen, all of you. A pair of beings greater than any of us here asked me to keep my mouth shut until they think we're ready to understand what's going on. I have to keep my mouth shut. If it makes you feel better, I'm just as annoyed from the sheer lack of information. I answered maybe three out of the hundreds of questions my brain came up with while talking to them. You'll just have to put up with it until something happens."

There was a stiff silence after sensei finished and he was glaring at Sirzechs-sama who was glaring back. After a moment, Sirzechs-sama sighed and then held his head.

"Fine, have it your way. If you don't come clean after you learn more then whatever treaty we form tonight is going to fall apart. Is that clear, _Governor of the Fallen Angels,_ " said Sirzechs-sama.

"Yes, yes, I know. I'm not an idiot, you know," said Sensei, just brushing it off.

We felt another presence appear nearby and we all looked over to find someone had appeared next to Vali.

He whispered something to Vali who squinted and sighed.

"Seems I'll be going, Azazel. Sorry I can't stay to play more," said Vali, waving to us.

"Where do you think you're going?" said Azazel-sensei. I could tell, he was trying to keep Vali being a criminal a part of this timeline.

"I want to fight strong people and I think I'll have a better chance if I'm a part of the group that staged this event. The Khaos Brigade," said Vali, grinning. He sent me a worried glance and I was surprised. I realized that it was for sensei. Before anything else could be said, Bikou slammed his staff down into the ground and the two quickly sunk into the ground, disappearing.

"That's something I expected. The terrorist group, Khaos Brigade. A group that's been on the rise lately. It's a secretive group that's been gathering strong people who are dissatisfied with how the world is. I'm not sure what their aim is, though," said Azazel-sensei.

"Seems we have quite a bit to talk about," said Michael-san, looking worried.

"Aughhh, I'm going to have to miss my next filming session if we have so many crazy things going on~," moaned Serafall-sama.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

The meeting last night has finished without too much trouble since the appearance of a fourth force, the unknown Khaos Brigade, gave a reason for the Three Great Powers to unite. Sirzechs-sama still pressured Azazel-sensei to properly give an explanation when we were given permission to do so, and Sensei also asked to stay in Kuoh as an advisor to the Gremory and Sitri groups here while also protecting the treaty site.

Presently, I was at home. Well, to be more precise, I was in a separate space, meditating. Father Time and Elohim-sama asked me to continue my training as I have so I'm going to keep it up. If I still have time until some great dilemma, then I'm going to use it to train hard.

"Senpai~…What should I do next?" asked Gasper from his box, not far from me. I sighed and cracked one eye open to look at him.

"Gasper, I'm meditating to train my ki. I need quiet. You should try asking one of the others to help you train your Sacred Gear back to the level you had before.

That's right, the others are also here. Even Rias. Rias, Akeno, Kiba, Gasper, Koneko-chan, Asia, Xenovia, Valerie, and Yumi are all here in my separate space training. The others really want to get back to where they were before and then surpass it and Rias just doesn't want to be left behind. I had actually forgotten how big my space was, such that everyone can train without bothering each other.

"Koneko-san~! Help me train, too," whined Gasper. Koneko-chan was sitting in front of me, meditating with her cat ears and tail out. Her ears twitched at his whining but she held her meditation. I could feel that her ki was still steady.

"Good job, Koneko-chan," I said, proudly. Kuroka! I'm training your sister well!

Ah…her ki's a mess now. Did I distract her?

"*sigh* Gya-kun, I'll help you train now," said Koneko-chan, getting up.

"Yay!" said Gasper before climbing out of his box and following Koneko-chan through the bushes. I sighed, sad that I had interrupted Koneko-chan's ki flow, but just relaxed back into my own meditation.

Before I could settle, though, I felt the wind change and threw my hand up to catch an arrow aimed at my chest. I cracked an eye open to see no one around. The spirit arrow faded away in my hand and I looked around.

"I guess…Yumi is training her sniping? She's not within range so she must be pretty far-," I said before feeling someone behind me. I spun around, coating one of my hands in ki. I caught a dagger aimed at me and gripped it tightly, my ki protecting my hand.

"Aghh! Are you kidding, Issei?! I totally caught you off guard and you still caught it," said Yumi, annoyed.

"I told you, sneak attacks don't work on me anymore," I said, grinning. I let go of her dagger and she stored it away on her belt.

"I know~, but I've gotten so much better at stealth. I have to work hard, too. I wasn't there when you guys needed me. I thought everything would be fine with all of you there but I should have gone anyways. You and Azazel disappeared, right?" said Yumi, looking worried.

"Yeah, but it's fine," I said, patting her head. "I wasn't in any danger and we came right back. You shouldn't worry too much about your stealth. My instincts have just gotten really good. You should probably sneak up on anyone below god-class. How did you get so close, though? Your arrow shot seemed like it was far away."

"I shot the arrow from around 30 yards in the direction you were facing and then ran over behind you. I'm pretty fast, y'know," said Yumi, grinning.

"Good job," I said, smiling. "Ah! But don't try this on the others. Their senses aren't good enough to detect you, yet."

"I know, Issei, you don't have to worry. I'll keep my eyes on _you_ ," said Yumi, winking at me. I grinned and laughed before glancing over at the group.

"Everyone else is training hard, huh," I said.

"Yup. Valerie is working on controlling her Sacred Gear with notes from Azazel, Kiba said he's trying to 'surpass his speed', Akeno is sparring with Rias to try and increase her power, Xenovia is trying to get better at using Durandal, and Asia is trying to create new ways to heal you guys from a distance," explained Yumi.

"You've been keeping a good eye," I said, smiling at her. She grinned, happily.

"Well of course! A hunter studies her prey. I'm a good spy, too," said Yumi.

Yumi was smiling at me for a moment before glancing around. She crawled towards me and grinned, mischievously.

"Yumi?" I said, suspicious.

"You know, Issei, I heard from Asia that Rias stole a kiss," said Yumi, staring me in the eyes while moving her face close to mine. "I was wondering if I could do it too, while no one was looking of course."

Yumi began to lean in more and I froze up, surprised. Yumi had never been on the attack so I didn't know how to react. She started to close her eyes as her lips were about to touch mine and I closed mine, too, waiting for a kiss.

Before our lips touched, though, I heard a magic circle opening up behind me and I tensed before spinning around, covering Yumi and preparing to fight. This was my separate space. Not just anyone can enter it without my permission.

"You can calm down, little pawn," said a voice from the magic circle. I inspected the magic circle and found it to be much more complicated than normal. It was a deep blue and felt very regal. A man came out from the magic circle and I immediately recognized him.

"Ajuka-sama?!" I shouted in surprise.

"Hm? You already know who I am? Good, that makes things simpler," said Ajuka-sama as he closed his magic circle behind him.

"'Ajuka-sama'? Isn't that one of the Maou, Issei?" asked Yumi, surprised.

"Yes! W-What are you doing here, Ajuka-sama?" I said, moving out of a fighting stance. "Ah! The others are probably surprised."

"You don't have to worry about the others," said Ajuka-sama. I looked at him confused and he sighed. "I placed an isolation field around us. To those outside, you and this girl are here together as you were. They shouldn't notice anything as long as we don't take too long."

"Take long with what?" I asked, still confused.

"What, did you think I wouldn't be interested in the man who could affect my precious Evil Pieces?" said Ajuka-sama, grinning as he came closer. He placed his hand close to me and stared at me, no more like through me. "Yes…yes, I see. They're perfectly settled inside your body. It's as if they've been a part of you for a decade rather than a month or two."

Ah…I guess Ajuka-sama was interested in my pieces that became mine before I was actually reincarnated.

"Your pieces…rejected me. When I was trying to understand what in the world was going on with them all those years ago, they refused to be used by me, their creator. Only someone with immense power or an unyielding soul could cause the pieces to react in such a way. Considering what Sirzechs has told me, you haven't been this strong for very long, so it must be the latter. Tell me, what kind of powers do you have now that could cause my pieces to react so strongly with you," said Ajuka-sama, staring at me intently.

I was shocked for a moment. Michael-san, Azazel-sensei, Sirzechs-sama…why are all these super strong guys so interested in me? I'm a lot stronger, yes, but I'm only this strong so I can protect my peaceful lifestyle! Even ridiculous beings like Father Time and Elohim-sama are interested in me!

"W-Well, I could tell you, but I thought Sirzechs-sama would have just told you," I said, simply.

"Well of course he did. He told me about your bout, quite interesting indeed. I want to see this for myself, though. You using your powers that caused the mutation will react with the Evil Piece associated. I want to experience this for myself," explained Ajuka-sama.

"Alright," I said, simply. I summoned up my Dividing Gear to start off. "This is my 'Dividing Gear'. It's a power I stole from the Hakuryuukou by taking his power into my Sacred Gear. I can use most of the powers of the original but it's weaker and can affect my lifeforce if I use it excessively."

"Hm…" said Ajuka-sama, as he stared through me again. "I see. So that piece is associated with that forbidden power. Having a power that is in such opposition to your Boosted Gear caused one piece to mutate. The power signature is as I expected. The next one now."

I released my Dividing Gear and activated my Boosted Gear. I went into Balance Breaker and then activated Welsh Sonic Boost Knight.

"Ah…you've become an advanced form of a knight. Interesting. This is certainly an illegal move being able to promote without your [King]'s approval. I see that the energy being used by the piece is different. Much more complex. On to the next," said Ajuka-sama. I sighed. He wasn't really saying much, just ordering me to transform constantly. Maou can be so strange.

This time I transformed to Welsh Dragonic Rook.

"So you can change your piece at will? This is even more illegal than I realized. I see that the power being released by the piece is similar to the previous transformation. If the next one is just to transform into more powerful [Bishop] then you can skip past it. I would assume the last one of the mutation pieces has to do with…" said Ajuka-sama, leading me on.

"…Probably with my angelic powers," I said, reverting back to normal Balance Breaker and then putting away my Sacred Gear. I released my angel wings, unleashing my angelic powers, and Ajuka-sama smiled.

"I see, I see. This one is fundamentally different. You know, it would have been impossible for you to be reincarnated as a devil while being part-angel, correct? It was only because the pieces were already yours that they were forced to mutate. The power signature of the pieces involved in your powers as an angel is on another level from the others. It isn't just complexity; the entire flow of power has warped. I'll have to make a note of this it may be useful if I decide…well, you'll find out. Now that the treaty has been completed it wouldn't be surprising to give Heaven a gift…" said Ajuka-sama. He must be talking about the Brave Saints system.

"Ajuka-sama, was this it? Were you just interested in my Evil Pieces?" I asked.

"Of course. My creations are very important to me and I don't like not understanding something about them. Mutations are always a mystery because they never happen exactly the same way but investigating each one helps me better understand and predict the phenomenon. You will probably end up mutating all your pieces if you keep developing forbidden powers. We'll just have to see. I'll be rooting for your success along with Sirzechs. Give me something interesting to investigate next time," said Ajuka-sama, smiling. He opened a magic circle and disappeared as quickly as he came.

I sweat-dropped at the scene. Honestly, these leaders like to put off their duties to do the strangest things.

"Well that was, strange…" said Yumi, coming up behind me. "Well, Issei, do you want to continue from where we left off?"

"Maybe…" I said, smiling. She smiled and began leaning in again before we heard a gasp.

"Now it's with Yumi-san?! Ise-san is getting too comfortable with all the other girls!" shouted Asia, interrupting us.

"Oh, for Artemis' sake," said Yumi, sighing. I guess the mood is really gone, now.

"Ise-senpai shouldn't be flirting by himself," said Koneko-chan, appearing from the brush with Gasper.

"*sigh* Alright, alright. Let's just get back to training," I said.

It was safe to say that neither of those girls were going to leave me in peace the rest of the training day.

* * *

 _Sirzechs POV_

 ** _Elsewhere…_**

"Hello, Ajuka," I said through my communication magic circle.

 _"He was interesting, Sirzechs,"_ said Ajuka from the other side.

"I'm glad you also think so. I think he'll be one of those at the head of the next generation of the Underworld," I said, smiling.

 _"Well, he is an anomaly, that much I_ can _say. To have warped his pieces in such a way…"_ said Ajuka. _"I would have never guessed there would be another one that had the potential to become a Super Devil in less than half a millennia."_

"True. We and that other man were some of the most unique devils in terms of power to ever be born. I wonder what Issei will bring to the table, being a reincarnated devil with so much potential. I look forward to his progress," I said.

 _"As do I, old friend. I'll hope for a good future for the Underworld. Strong ones like him will be needed if the worst comes for us at the top,"_ said Ajuka.

"Yes…" I said, simply, trailing off. I released the magic circle and sat for a moment. I wonder how Issei's future will play out, with the appearance of dangers.

* * *

 _Issei POV_

 ** _Later that night…_**

 _Eh?...What going on?_

 _I'm floating in some dark space…is this a dream?_

 _Hm…that is…?_

I floated forwards towards a light and ended up at a large oval shaped screen. The screen was showing images of what looked like a wasteland.

 _What is this? Some kind of battlefield?_

While looking over it, I suddenly saw something flash across the screen. I looked closer, trying to figure out what it was but then I saw something.

 _What is…Eh?! Irina? Sairaorg?_

 _What's going on? Are they fighting someone? Wait, they look…different. Irina has four angel wings and Sairaorg is wearing his armor…Is this the other timeline?_

 _"Kyaaaah!"_

 _Irina?!_

Irina had suddenly screamed as she was hit by something like an energy blast.

 _"Irina?!"_

 _Another voice? Who…?_

Rias suddenly appeared from out of view of the screen. She flew out towards Irina who looked injured while Sairaorg covered them.

 _"Rias, look out!"_

Sairaorg suddenly leapt out in front of Rias and a hole was blown through his chest.

 _Sairaorg!_

 _"Sairaorg!"_

 _"Guh!"_

Sairaorg was bleeding profusely from his chest now and Regulus transformed back into his lion form. He tried to support his master but Sairaorg fell to the ground.

 _"Sairaorg, no…"_

 _"Rias, I'm sorry. Because I got hurt, Sairaorg is…"_

 _No…no no no no…_

 _What is going on? Is this just a dream? Another vision? What is this?!_

 _"Rias, move!"_

Irina shouted before pushing Rias out of the way. Irina was hit by a black energy blast that tore right through her and I had to look away. It was too much to watch.

 _"Irina…no…not you too."_

 _Rias, I don't know what's going but run. RUN!_

 _"Issei…I wish you were here…I wish you would come back to us…I…"_

 _Rias!_

I saw it happen. I saw the woman I loved receive a fatal hit. A fist punched right through her chest from behind her. I saw tears running down her face as blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. He eyes dimmed and I was balling, screaming in pain.

 _RIASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!_

* * *

I woke up suddenly, my eyes snapping open. My vision was a little blurry but I could see Rias and Asia hovering over me with worried eyes. Asia must have been using her Twilight Healing because I could see a faint green glow.

I realized that my vision was blurry because I was crying. I was seriously horrified by the dream I just had.

"Ise-san, are you alright?" asked Asia, as she stopped using her Sacred Gear.

I looked at her and then at Rias, the image from the dream flashing in my head. I bit my lip groaned.

"Issei, what's wrong? It seemed like you were having a terrible nightmare. You looked like you were in so much pain that I had to have Asia try healing you to see if that would help," said Rias, stroking my cheek with her hand.

I couldn't find the words, so I just grabbed both their heads and pulled them into my chest, holding them tightly.

We stayed like that for a bit and they didn't move, letting me have my moment.

I heaved a sigh of relief after a minute and relaxed my grip on them but not letting them go.

"Better?" asked Rias, looking at me with worried eyes.

"I…I just had a very _vivid_ nightmare. Sorry to worry both of you," I said, trying hard not to think about it.

"Ise-san, I've never seen you like that. Are you sure you are alright?" asked Asia, frowning.

"I'm alright, I promise. I just…I'll protect you. Both of you," I said, glancing between them. "No matter what."

They shared a glance and then smiled at me.

"We trust you, Issei."

"Ise-san," they said together.

I smiled and we shared a group hug, this time letting me relax.

While we hugged, I noticed something a bit off. Normally my arms have reached to the edge of my bed. Is this…?

I glanced around and noticed that everything was different. We were back to the giant super-house that I had in the other timeline!

"EHHHHH?!" I shouted in shock. How the hell did I just sleep through them doing this?! I thought I'd notice it for sure this time!

"Ise-san?" said Asia, confused. "Eh? When did the bed get bigger?"

"Ara, they finished faster than I thought," said Rias, looking around.

"How the hell did they do this while we were sleeping?! Better question is, what happened?" I said, covering myself.

"*giggle* Onii-sama thought it would be a good idea to have everyone live here in your house. To strengthen our bonds as a peerage and master. He had people who specialize in these kinds of things come and rebuild the house. I can show you the blueprints in the morning," said Rias.

"But Rias-onee-sama, it's already almost eight?" said Asia, making Rias and I look at the clock. At least my special alarm clock is still there.

"So it is. Do you want to get up already, Issei?" asked Rias, rubbing her body against me. It was then that I noticed that Rias was indeed very naked.

I felt her soft skin against my bare chest and her breasts were squishing against my muscles. Her legs were tangling up with mine and I had to hold back a nosebleed as I shook my head at her question. Get up?! Not a chance!

"Uuu…Rias-onee-sama is trying to get ahead again!" shouted Asia before grabbing onto my back and pressing herself to me.

Asiaaaaaaaaa! I can feel your developing breasts rubbing against me! Your skin isn't as soft as Rias' but it still feels good so stoppp~~!

Uwah! I won't be able to hold back if these girls keep this up!

"What do you want to do, Issei?" said Rias, seductively. "I don't think Asia or I will reject what you want to do right now~."

UWOOOOHHH! Rias don't say something like that while blowing on my ear so seductively! I'll really take you up on that you know! Ah…but I should protect Asia's purity shouldn't I? But I couldn't leave her out if I did something with Rias, right? Ahhhhh! Why are things like this so complicated! I've really got a long way to becoming a Harem King if I'm only hesitating with two girls!

 _Knock Knock_

"Eh?" I said, surprised by the knock.

The door creaked open and I could see Yumi peeping through the crack.

"Issei~, it's almost time for morning training, isn't it? What are you doing getting it on so early in the morning~," said Yumi in a voice that wasn't aggressive but also was.

"Ara, that's true. I'm sure the others will be getting here soon, too, so we shouldn't waste too much time," said Rias, smiling before giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. I blushed before a cute but annoyed Asia gave me a kiss on the other cheek. She was pouting but followed Rias out of the room through the connecting door and I was left alone with Yumi who was glaring.

"Y-Yumi…are you going to come in?" I asked, awkwardly.

"Nope," she said, simply. "The room is so filled with lewd that I feel like I would bother Artemis-sama just by entering. She _is_ a virgin goddess you know."

"Ah, yeah, right…" I said, still awkward. Yumi and I just started at each other for a moment before she silently closed the door and left.

If the morning was this strange and hectic, I wonder how the rest of the day will be.

* * *

 ** _Later…_**

"Now," began Rias as she rolled out several sheets of blueprints on the coffee table. "The house has had quite a number of renovations, so I'll discuss it more in detail."

"Uwah~, so many floors," said Asia.

"So, on the first we have several guest rooms, the living room, a fully stocked kitchen, a full bathroom, and some Japanese-styled rooms. The second floor has my, Issei, and Asia's rooms. All of them are connected through connecting doors so we don't have to go out into the hall. On the third floor will be Issei's parent's room, a study for his father, and a storeroom. The fourth floor will be Akeno, Xenovia, Koneko, and Yumi's rooms. The fifth floor will be where Valerie's room is located but the other rooms will be vacant. I'm sorry you have to be alone, Valerie," explained Rias.

"It's alright. I'm happy to have my own room," said Valerie, smiling.

"After the fifth floor will be a large meeting room and the boy's rooms. Kiba and Gasper, your rooms are on either side of the meeting room. The rooftop has a large garden area and patio furniture. I told mother-in-law that she can feel free to do as she pleases with the gardens. She seemed happy about it," said Rias. "Lastly, there are four basement floors."

Four? There were only three basement floors before, right?

"The first has a movie theater and individual but large training room for us to use. There are also a few changing stations and a large indoor bath. The second basement floor has an indoor swimming pool and the third will be mostly empty for storage and has a small library. The last floor is specifically for Issei," said Rias, pointing at me.

"Me? Why would I need an entire floor for myself?" I asked, confused.

"It's probably a training space for Senpai. Since he would probably destroy the normal training rooms if he got serious," said Koneko-chan.

"That's right. Onii-sama had that floor built so you could train at 100% of your full power. He actually asked Ajuka-sama for a favor and had him put up very powerful protective charms. The walls, floor, roof, and supports on that floor will be able to handle anything except that special attack of yours. Onii-sama's words were something like 'Tell Issei-kun to go all out'," said Rias, shaking her head as she said that last part.

So that was Sirzechs-sama's selfishness then…I guess he really wants me to train hard.

"Ara there's so much to explore in this expanded house but we won't be around to enjoy it," said Akeno.

"Eh? Are we going somewhere?" asked Yumi, confused. Ah, yeah, I hadn't told them about this.

"Yes, I and my peerage are going to the Underworld. I always return during summer vacation. You and Valerie are welcome to come as well," said Rias, smiling.

"I'd love to go! I've always wondered what Hell would look like!" said Yumi, excitedly.

"Hm…I think I'll stay here. Ise-sama's mother and father might get lonely being in this big house by themselves," said Valerie.

"Thanks, Valerie," I said, smiling. She flashed me a grin in response.

"Now, then, we need to start getting our things ready. Pack up your things everyone, it's time for our trip to the Underworld," said Rias, smiling.

So soon after everything that's happened, we have so many things to take care of. Well, off to Hell we go!

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 ** _I've had that dream Issei has stuck in my head since like four chapters ago so I'm glad to have finally written it._**

 ** _Please Review to let me know what you guys thought!_**

 ** _Also, I'll try hard to get the chapter out around Thanksgiving (the end of November for my non-American audience) but I might have some conflicts with school. We'll see what happens._**

 ** _Until next time...byeee :D_**


	41. Volume 4 Life 3

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **So, I wanted to get you guys this chapter wayyyy before today. I originally wanted to get it out as a Thansgiving gift but things really didn't work out that way.**_

 _ **Aside from the craziness of the holidays, I just finished finals week and a major project so I was really strapped for time. I apologize for so much delay.**_

 _ **It also didn't help that I was having trouble with how to deal with a few characters that appear in this chapter. Since this story has caught up with most of the anime (the stuff that actually happened in the LN), I'm having to re-read a lot of stuff.**_

 _ **I picked the best route I could and I hope you guys like it.**_

 _ **Anyways, enough rambling. ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.3**

 _Attention, Attention everyone! We will soon be arriving at the Gremory Main Residence. Thank you for riding with us today._

I, Hyoudou Issei, and the rest of my fellow peerage members as well as Yumi had been riding a train through the Gremory territory after leaving for the Underworld. We had been on the train and I and the other new members had to go through a proper identification process since this was our first time in the Underworld. Yumi had to go through a special process since she isn't a devil or Fallen Angel.

That announcement let us know that we were about to arrive at the Gremory castle and I looked out the window.

Uwaaahh~! I still can't get over how enormous Rias' house is. It puts castles in Japan to shame and I think even European castles would have a hard time competing.

"Issei, close the window. It's time to get ready to get off," said Rias, smiling at my awed expression.

I nodded and shut the window before getting up and stretching. Koneko-chan and Yumi had dozed off, both of them leaning against the other. I went over to nudge them awake while Rias and the others began to get ready.

"Koneko-chan, Yumi, we're here," I said, trying not to startle them.

"Nyaaa~…senpai, just a little longer," said Koneko-chan, cutely, while snuggling into Yumi.

"Not now Issei…" whined Yumi who waved me away.

"Yumi, Artemis said you forgot to pray to her last night," I said, grinning at her sleeping face.

"What?! What?! No I didn't!" shouted Yumi as she jumped up. She's always so diligent about that that I knew she would freak out about it. Koneko-chan fell down without Yumi there, causing her to whine and open her eyes.

"Senpai you idiot," said Koneko-chan as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Yumi just glared in response before yawning and stretching out.

We felt the train jerk as it suddenly began to slow and I realized we were already at the stop.

"Alright everyone, time to get off. We'll be going to see my parents first so follow me," said Rias, simply.

"Sensei, you're going to see Sirzechs-sama, right?" I asked, looking over at Azazel-sensei who was still laying down.

"Yeah. We have some things to discuss so you all go ahead. I'll be back to set you all on your training regimens," said Sensei, waving us off.

"Say hello to Onii-sama for me," said Rias, receiving a grunt from sensei in response. She sighed in annoyance but the doors to the train car opened before she could say anything else.

We all exited the train and walked down the steps to ground level. The courtyard stretched out in front of us to one of the main entrances of the castle and the path was lined with butlers and maids who were all bowing.

"Welcome home, Rias-ojou-sama!"

All of them greeted Rias in such a formal way.

After their greeting, there were a few fireworks that were set off and some trumpeters began to play sounds that sounded like the songs they played in war movies. Up in the sky was a knight riding some feathered magical beast that I couldn't really make out. He was waving a Gremory flag.

Rias, Akeno, and Kiba were completely unfazed by this welcoming event and I sighed. Although I've experienced it before, I'm still not used to these kinds of things.

We began to walk towards the castle, Rias leading us. She was thanking everyone as we went along and I could tell she looked happy to be home.

Once we arrived at the main entrance, two soldiers opened the giant doors and we found Grayfia-san waiting inside for us. She looked us over, her eyes staying on me for long enough to be uncomfortable before moving on. I wonder if she was still bothered by my fight with Sirzechs-sama?

"Welcome back, my lady. You arrived early. I have prepared several carriages to take us to the main residence," said Grayfia-san, gesturing to some Underworld horse driven carriages. I had forgotten that this was just the outer gate. We still had a ways to go to reach the main residence.

"I'll ride with Issei, Asia, Xenovia, and Yumi since this is their first time. The others can decide how they want to ride," said Rias, walking towards one of the nicer looking carriages. We followed her and boarded the carriages before going off towards the main residence. Honestly, sometimes I forget just how ridiculous my master's family is.

* * *

We arrived at the main house a bit later and the carriages stopped at the end of a long red carpet with more servants. We exited the carriages and Grayfia-san began guiding us inside. Once inside, we were greeted by a smiling boy with bright crimson hair.

"Rias-nee-sama!" shouted the small boy. "Welcome back!"

"Ara, my little nephew is getting big, isn't he?" said Rias as she crouched down with her arms outstretched. The boy ran over to Rias, giving her a short hug. "How are you, Millicas?"

"I'm alright! Are these nee-sama's new members?" asked Millicas-sama looking at me with interest.

"Yes. Issei, Asia, and Xenovia," said Rias as she pointed to each of us in order. "These are my new servants. The girl next to Yuuto is one of his long-lost friends. She isn't a devil, but I was able to bring her under special circumstances."

"Ah, it's very nice to meet you all," said Millicas-sama, bowing his head to us. We did the same and I smiled at him.

"Millicas, the Lady is still in her room, correct?" asked Grayfia-san.

"Yes, Mother- I mean, Grayfia…" said Millicas-sama.

"Remember not to call me that in front of others," whispered Grayfia-san, scolding Millicas-sama who responded with a simple 'Sorry'. "Rias-sama, your mother wished to see you upon your return. Please follow me."

Rias nodded and we all followed Grayfia-san upstairs, now with an extra person. Millicas-sama was happily talking to Kiba about what had happened since they last met.

We arrived in front of a room and Grayfia-san opened the door for us. Rias walked in first followed by the rest of us.

"Mother, I have returned," said Rias, stopping a bowing her head. We spread out to her sides and I looked at her mother. Even though I've seen her mother several times, I can never get over how beautiful Rias' mother is. It's to be expected since the beautiful woman I fell in love with inherited most of her looks from her mother.

Especially her enormous breasts.

"Ow ow ow!" I yelped in pain as something pinched my cheek, hard.

"You know nothing will come out of staring at my mother's breasts, right?" said Rias, glaring at me with jealous eyes.

"S-Sowy," I muttered before she released my cheek. Rias sighed while her mother let out a light giggle.

"So, Rias, is this him? The boy that Sirzechs speaks highly of and was the cause of that whole owned-pawn mystery?" asked Rias' mother.

"Eh? Sirzechs-sama talks about someone like me to you?" I asked, surprised. I didn't think Sirzechs-sama thought so highly of me. I knew he thought I had potential but…

"Of course. He may be the Maou, but I am still his mother. He enjoys telling me about interesting things when he has time. Such as…that little sparring session you had," said Rias' mother, sneering at me. A-Ah…so she heard…

"Eh~? You had a fight with father? Father's never sparred with anyone since I've been born!" said Millicas-sama, shocked.

"Ara, I didn't see my little grandson there behind Yuuto-kun. Millicas, make sure you keep that a secret. Your father isn't supposed to be sparring people," said Rias' mother, holding up a silencing finger to her mouth. Millicas-sama nodded but he looked at me with glowing eyes as if saying 'Tell me about it!'. "By the way, to you, Hyoudou Issei-san, and the other two, Asia Argento and Xenovia Quarta, it's very nice to meet you all. My name is Venerana Gremory. Please treat me and my husband well."

"Of course," said Asia, Xenovia, and I in unison.

"Rias-sama, the master will return before dinner. We have had all of your luggage delivered to your rooms. Please allow us to guide all your peerage to where they will be staying," said Grayfia-san. Rias nodded and we bid farewell to Rias' mother before following Grayfia-san and the other maids to our rooms.

* * *

 ** _A few hours later…_**

We were all seated at a giant dining table that had more chairs than all of us present. The enormous dining table was filled to the brim with all sorts of delicious looking food and there were servers along the walls of the dining room, watching us as if waiting for us to need service. They must have been trained very seriously.

"Please eat without holding back, everyone. Enjoy as much as you can!" said Rias' father who had arrived not long before we were called for dinner.

We began to eat and I still struggled with proper western manners. I'm so used to eating with chopsticks that forks and knives feel so awkward in my hands. I glanced around and everyone was eating normally, even Koneko-chan who, in the other timeline, hadn't wanted to eat at all. Even Asia and Xenovia were having less trouble than before. I guess I should have practiced my eating etiquette.

"Ahem," began Rias' father after a few minutes. "Rias' peerage and friend, please think of this place as you home. Anything you need or desire, all you need to do is ask. Since many of you are either new or haven't spent much time in the Underworld before, ask for help whenever you find yourself at a loss."

"Thank you, Gremory-sama. Our new members would probably appreciate some help," said Akeno, bowing her head. Rias' father smiled at her and then turned to me.

"Hyoudou Issei-kun," began her father again. "Have your parents been well? How are they enjoying their new home?"

"They're very well, thank you!" I said, a bit nervous. "They told me that they loved the house. They're especially excited to grow plants in the rooftop garden. They feel like it would be a relaxing hobby."

"Ah they do, do they? They seemed like the type to enjoy something like that. If they need anything, do let them know that I would be happy to give it to them," said Rias' father, smiling.

"A-Ah, thank you. You've done a lot for us so I don't think they'll ask for much more," I said, sweat-dropping. Please don't try to give us a castle. Please don't try to give us a castle.

"Nonsense. It was miniscule. I wonder, though. Would they like a summer home of some kind? Perhaps a castle in Europe?" said Rias' father, almost making me face-plant. I didn't even bring up giving us a gift~! Why do you default to giving us a castle~?!

"Dear, commoners in Japan do not usually have strong worldly desires. If they need anything they will ask. Do not trouble them," said Rias' mother, causing husband to calm down.

I see where Rias gets her strong personality from.

"I see…" said Rias' father, dejectedly. I thought that was the end of the strange conversations. I was wrong. "By the way, Hyoudou Issei-kun."

"Y-Yes?" I asked, worried.

"You may call me 'father-in-law' from now on," said Rias' father before continuing to eat. What are you doing~?! Are you trying to push your daughter's buttons~!

I glanced over at Rias to see that she was almost as red as her hair and had set down her utensils. I turned back her to father, blushing a bit.

"T-That's too disrespectful of me, Gremory-sama. P-Please let me become more useful to your daughter before I say such things," I said, embarrassed.

"He's right Dear. There's such a thing as an order to these things," said Rias' mother.

"Yes, of course, but it's crimson and red! Doesn't that excite you?" asked Rias' father, almost sounding childish.

"It's still too early to celebrate. If you rush things like this, you'll only ruin it," said Rias' mother, continuing to eat.

"*sigh* I am aware. You know how excited I get about these things," said Rias' father. Rias' mother really dominates their marriage.

"Hyoudou Issei-san, would it be alright if I called you Issei-san?" asked Rias' mother, looking me in the eyes from across the table.

"O-Of course! I couldn't say no to my master's mother," I said, simply.

Rias' mother smiled at me and moved back to her meal.

* * *

The meal afterwards had played out almost identical to before. Rias' parents were trying to make me a properly educated upper-class devil, despite still only being a low-class devil, and Rias gave a few embarrassed outbursts. Honestly my master is too cute when she blushes and gets embarrassed like that!

Ah, well, that was yesterday.

Right now, I was finishing up one of the etiquette classes that Rias' parents had set up for me with a private tutor. Millicas-sama was next to me, taking notes in a casual way like I was. I already learned all of this before, so it was mostly just review. Though it has been a while.

Just as the tutor was winding down their lesson, I heard the door open behind us and I turned to see Rias' mother coming in.

"Grandmother!" said Millicas-sama, excitedly.

"How is my little grandson and Issei-san doing?" asked Rias' mother, curiously. She wandered over and glossed over our notes, smiling when she saw my still clumsy devil writing. Although I've had more practice, my devil handwriting still isn't the best. "It's just as Rias said, you work hard at everything. You take good notes as well. Though…you seem familiar with these topics?"

"Ah…yeah. I thought it would be important to learn things like this, so I had been asking Akeno to tutor me in secret. I wanted to surprise Buchou," I said, embarrassed. I knew some of this from before, but Akeno had been helping me with some things I had forgotten as well as to learn some new things.

"Ah~…I think my daughter would be happy to hear that," said Rias' mother, smiling at me. "She will be returning soon so it would be best to begin preparing. There will be a customary gathering of young devils in the Maou's territory. You will have to make sure you are properly dressed."

"Oh, I had almost forgotten about that," I said. I almost forgot. This will be my first meeting with Sairaorg-san. I wonder…will he be one of the ones to remember?

"We will finish here then, for today. Please make sure to review your notes prior to the next session, Millicas-sama, young master," said the tutor, making me sweat-drop. Ah yeah…I had forgotten about the whole young master thing. Honestly, Rias' parents like to move things quickly.

* * *

 ** _Sometime later…_**

We were currently taking the elevator up to the floor where the meeting of the young devils was to be held. Yumi wasn't with us this time since it was exclusively for young devils. She stayed back at the mansion to begin her training.

"Everyone, I'll say it once more," began Rias, sounding serious. "No matter what happens, no matter what anyone says, stay in a calm state of mind. The people above are our future rivals and we have to keep up appearances."

Just like before, Rias' words had a kind of fighting spirit to them. She had no intention to lose, but I don't think anyone will be able to stand up to us right now, being much stronger than the last time we were here.

Only a few seconds later, the elevator slowed as it reached the floor we were going to and it came to a smooth stop. The doors opened, and we were greeted by an employee that guided us towards the meeting hall. On the way, we finally met them.

"Sairaorg-san!" shouted Rias, sounding happy. That man turned when he heard his name and smiled before walking over, followed by a couple of his peerage.

"Rias, it's been awhile," said Sairaorg-san, smiling at her.

I could feel it. Sairaorg-san was stronger than before. Much stronger. What changed?

They shared a quick hug and Sairaorg-san turned to us.

"Your peerage? I see some new faces," said Sairaorg-san.

"Of course. I've been working hard, you know," said Rias, looking smug. "Everyone, this is my cousin, Sairaorg Bael. He's the heir to the Great King's house, where my mother is originally from."

"Nice to meet all of you," said Sairaorg-san, smiling and waving at us.

"Someone from that house must be pretty strong. Nice to meet you, I'm Xenovia, Buchou's new Knight."

"I-I'm Asia Argento, Rias-onee-sama's new Bishop!"

Sairaorg-san smiled and nodded at both of them after their introductions before he turned to me. I looked him straight in the eyes and cracked a small smile.

"I'm Hyoudou Issei, Buchou's Pawn," I said, simply. His eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"You're the one from that whole 'owned-pawns' debacle? I'll have to have a proper conversation about that later. I was interested in how that went," said Sairaorg-san.

"Later?" asked Rias, curious.

"Ah, seems like something idiotic has started in there. We don't really want to listen to it," said Sairaorg-san, sighing.

"…Idiotic? Have the others started something?" asked Rias.

"Yes. Agares and Astaroth arrived early along with my group. Zephyrdol came in after us and then started an argument with Agares. It's still going on," explained Sairaorg-san.

"What were they-," began Rias before she was interrupting by a loud explosion.

The building shook for a moment and Rias looked at Sairaorg before walking to the meeting room's doors and pushing them open.

"*sigh* This is why I suggested not meeting each other before the meeting," said Sairaorg-san.

We all followed Rias inside the room to find two large groups of devils on each side, ready to fight. What a surprise that this happened again.

"Are we really going to fight over your own stupidity, Zephyrdol?" said a beautiful woman who was sitting at the only intact table.

"Tch, I said I'd teach you about a good time in private later, you bitch, but you're being such a pain in the ass about it. All you stupid ass women of the Maou families stink of virgins and it's unbearable! If you just let me quench that smell then we could have had a nice opening ceremony," said an ugly, goblin-looking devil from the other side.

Ah…that delinquent devil again. He's Zephyrdol and the onee-san over there was the Agares heir if I remember correctly.

"*sigh* I feel like an old man sighing so much from these hot-blooded young devils. I didn't want to have to get involved, but I can't let them destroy the meeting hall over something so trivial," said Sairaorg-san as he passed me, cracking his neck.

"Ise," said Buchou, looking over at Sairaorg-san. "Watch the number 1 devil among the young devils."

I nodded and watched. Although Sairaorg-san is stronger now than before, I don't think I'll lose to him.

"Seegvaira, princess of the Agares family, and Zephyrdol, rebel child of the Glaysa-Labolas family. If you two go any further, then I'll be your opponent," began Sairaorg-san, releasing a strong pressure. "I won't give another warning. Depending on what happens next, I'll use my fists without mercy."

"For the incompetent Bael family to-," began Zephyrdol before being cut off.

Sairaorg-san had very suddenly smashed his fist into the delinquent devil's stomach, causing his eyes to bulge out in pain. A moment later, he launched away from Sairaorg-san's fist and slammed into the wall, the white of eyes visible as he coughed up blood.

When he fell to the ground, he was clearly unconscious. Honestly, Sairaorg-san is merciless.

Sairaorg-san glared at the delinquent's servants and they let out annoyed sounds before rushing to their master to check up on him.

He turned to the Agares heir now and she stiffened up before turning away.

"I won't start anything else," she said, simply. Sairaorg-san nodded and then turned towards us. Well, past us.

"Call the staff. This hall is a disaster and I won't be able to enjoy tea with my cousin while it's like this," said Sairaorg-san to a staff member who was behind us. The devil nodded, panicked, and ran off.

* * *

Some time had passed since that incident and the meeting hall was restored using magic. There were still some groups coming in, but Rias said that most of them were here. She and Sona-kaichou, who had walked in not long ago, were greeting everyone.

While they were greeting everyone, I felt something tug on my sleeve and I turned to see Asia grabbing onto my sleeve. Her face was pale and she was staring, wide-eyed, into the group of devils.

"I-Ise-san…" muttered Asia. Before I could ask what was wrong, I heard a voice I wish I had forgotten.

"I'm Diodora Astaroth, the next head of the Astaroth family," said that familiar voice.

I snapped my head in the direction of the voice, my eyes already filled with fire.

I glared, fiercely, at him but he didn't seem to take notice of me as he greeted Rias.

I was about to react to that hated man's presence when I felt someone grab my shoulder. I glanced over to see Kiba holding me down, his eyes serious.

"Ise-kun, you can't. Nobody knows about it yet. You have to hold back," said Kiba, looking ready to hold me back.

I knew he was right. I took a deep breath through my clenched teeth and turned to hug Asia. Asia would calm me down. She also looked like she needed a hug.

Rias seemed to notice but she was too busy greeting people to ask what was wrong.

Diodora walked away, greeting the others, and things moved on.

"Psst…isn't that him?"

I heard a few servant devils speaking suspiciously off to the side. I tilted my ear to listen in, curious.

"I think so. He's the Sekiryuutei, right?"

"The one that defeated that Kokabiel, right? The Cadre?"

"Yeah, yeah. He doesn't look very special, though."

Ara, it seems like I'm being gossiped about. I guess the news about my defeating Kokabiel alone has gone around but what do you mean?! I know I'm a plain looking guy but you're too close to be mocking me like that as if I won't hear yoU!

"I don't know, I think he looks kind of cute. I wonder just how strong he is, though?"

A bishoujo! A bishoujo servant devil is looking my way while complimenting me! Is this popularity? I will become famous without being that terrible name that makes Ddraig cry!

"Ahem, excuse me everyone," said someone using the loudspeakers. I looked over to see an announcer standing on the stage by a microphone. "We will begin now, so please be seated."

Everyone shuffled to their seats while the ones who would be sitting on the stage appeared. I could see several distinguished looking devils go up as well as the Maou. Sirzechs-sama, Serafall-sama, Ajuka-sama, and Asmodeus-sama also appeared.

They all sat up in the stage and all the higher-ups were looking down on us with complex expressions; like they were scanning over us.

After they had scanned over us, they had begun with their complicated and relatively boring speeches about the future of the Underworld as well as dealing with the Khaos Brigade. Nothing from this was any different.

Now was when it got to the interesting part.

"To finish things, let us hear the goals you all have for the future," said Sirzechs-sama, smiling.

The first to respond was Sairaorg-san who responded seriously.

"I would like to one day become a Maou."

"Hoh"

"For a devil of the Great King family to desire to leave it."

Some of the higher-ups seemed to be interested in this.

"When the people of the Underworld feel that it is necessary, I will become a Maou they can depend on," said Sairaorg-san, amending what eh originally said.

"Splendid," said Sirzechs-sama, who seemed impressed.

Next was Rias.

"My goal for the near future is to become the Head of the Gremory and to accel at the Rating Games."

"And for beyond that?" asked one of the higher-ups.

"I want to explore that there is to explore. Japan, the rest of the world, even the whole of the Underworld that I don't know about," responded Rias. That's just like Rias. To want to explore things that she's interested in.

The higher-ups seemed to be interested by her goal but not like Sairaorg-san's.

Then, was Sona-kaichou.

"I wish to build a school for Rating Games in the Underworld. One designed specifically for those who can not attend the school that already exists," said Sona-kaichou, seriously.

"Hm? But all the high-class devils and devils of privileged rank are allowed at that school. You couldn't possibly be suggesting…" said one of the higher-ups.

"So, you wish to build a school for low-class and reincarnated devils?" said another higher-up.

Kaichou nodded in response and she was met with hearty laughing from the higher-ups, minus the Maou. Serafall-sama looked particularly bothered by the laughing.

I narrowed my eyes at them in annoyance. Kaichou will end up doing it. You'll see.

"Ahaha, it's good to be young but, to have such a ridiculous dream. I'm glad you said it now rather than at your debut. Now we have a chance to talk some sense into you," said one of the higher-ups.

"I'm not joking," said Sona-kaichou, looking visibly annoyed. Serafall-sama smiled and nodded, encouragingly, but frowned when the higher-ups stopped laughing, abruptly.

"Sona Sitri-dono. Low-class and reincarnated devils are only useful for working for their high-class devil masters. They're only selected based on talent. Building such an institution would be make the old families who value tradition and pride lose face. The devil world may have entered a period of change but teaching low-class devils is a waste of time and none of your concern…"

The higher-up who said that was completely serious and I glared over at him.

"Why," began Saji, looking like he was going to explode. "Why do you have to look down on Sona-sama's dream like that? We're serious about doing good for devils!"

"Be careful how you speak, _low-class devil._ Sona-dono, your servant needs to be trained properly," said the same higher-up.

"I-," began Saji again before I grabbed his arm. He looked back at me and I grinned.

"Don't waste your breath, Saji. People looking at the past wouldn't understand the dreams of people looking at the future. Just work hard like you always do," I said, making sure the higher-ups heard every word.

"Rias-dono, it seems your servant lacks the ability to present himself properly. You also seem to be lacking in ability when it comes to properly training your servants," said one of the higher-ups.

I glared at the higher-up for insulting Rias and a bit of my aura leaked out, making him and the other higher-ups tense up.

"Are you threat-," began the same higher-up before being interrupted.

"I do not think it is wise…to anger a dragon," began Sirzechs-sama, catching the higher-ups' attention. "Don't you think so?"

The higher-ups were silent, as was the rest of the room. I reeled my aura back in and waited, the silence dragging on for a bit longer before Sirzechs-sama spoke again.

"Why don't we move on?"

"Y-Yes, of course," said the higher-up from before. "Rias-dono, Sona-dono, Lucifer-sama and Leviathan-sama believed that a game between you two would be good competition. You both are rivals, correct?"

Rias and Sona-kaichou glanced at each other, their eyes saying 'I won't lose!'.

"Azazel has been gathering some fans of yours from each of the powers, as well as a few outsiders. We would like you two to have a Rating Game next month. This will be a good way to test your abilities seriously before your debut. Since you both are friends, you could discuss different aspects of your game afterward to help each other. We hoped to do that with the four others as well, though I hope you all will try to help each other grow," said Sirzechs-sama, smiling.

"A match between Rias-chan and Sona-chan! Yes! It'll definitely fire things up! 3" said Serafall-sama, making a little heart with her hands.

So, it's finally time. The battle between us and the Sitri peerage. I won't go easy on you guys this time!

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I know there was a lot of cuts but there was a lot of boring stuff in getting around that I really didn't think was important.**_

 _ **Let me know what you guys think and how you think Ise's training with Tannin will go in the following chapter. Do you guys think he will keep up with Tannin?**_

 _ **Also, if you guys notice any big or glaring errors, please feel free to comment about them. I tend to go and fix things like that when I see someone's noticed them. The feedback really helps!**_

 _ **Anyways, I'm going to give myself a time limit of two weeks so I can get the next chapter out before the end of the year.**_

 _ **Until next time...byeee :D**_


	42. Volume 4 Life 4

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Aghhhh I know, I know, I promised to get one more chapter out before the end of the year. I was planning to release it within the last few days but those days were a disaster. I worked hard but only got half of it done before the end.**_

 _ **This chapter was supposed to go up two days ago but this website crapped out on me and wouldn't let me create a doc so I could upload the new chapter.**_

 _ **I apologize again but I hope you guys like what I've done.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.4**

It was after the meeting now and I was being scolded by Rias for speaking out against the higher-ups.

"Issei, I know you're close with Saji from Sona's group but you shouldn't do that. Speaking out in defense of someone else's master…that doesn't reflect well on me," said Rias.

"Sorry…I thought Sirzechs-sama and Serafall-sama would be on our side, so I didn't think about it," I said.

"That doesn't look well for them either. Siblings or not, they shouldn't favor any single devil among the youth. They need to be impartial to a certain degree, you know," said Rias. I muttered out another apology before my scolding was interrupted.

"Rias," said a voice from behind me. I turned to find Sona-kaichou, Saji, and the Vice President coming towards us.

"Sona, I'm sorry if my Issei caused you any embarrassment," said Rias, glancing over at me.

"No, it's alright. I'm happy Saji made a friend that would even go against the higher-ups to defend him. Anyways; our match will be in 20 days. Do you think you'll be ready?" asked Sona-kaichou, her glasses glinting.

"I would ask you the same," said Rias, looking a little smug. The two had sparks flying from where their eyes met and I sweat-dropped a bit. These two can be too competitive sometimes. Kaichou then turned toward me.

"Ise-kun…I wanted to thank you for what you said. It's nice to see there are even more people vying for the future of the Underworld," said Sona-kaichou, her cheeks a little red.

Eh? Kaichou, what is that red on your cheeks?

"Well, we have work to do. Good luck with your preparations, Rias," said Sona as she turned to walk away. "Saji, Tsubaki, let's go."

"Hyoudou~! I appreciate your help earlier but Kaichou is mine! Don't even think about trying anything you womanizer!" shouted Saji before running after Sona-kaichou.

"Mou~! Even Sona made a face like that?" said Rias, sounding annoyed.

A face like what?

Before I could ask my question, we were interrupted again.

"Rias, what's that face all about?" asked Sairaorg-san, who just came into view.

"It's nothing. Sairaorg, what are your plans? I hope you come to watch my match. I want to show you what skills my peerage and I have," said Rias, her expression shifting from bothered to competitive.

"Ahahaha! I look forward to it. Well, I'm interested in this one here. Your name was…Hyoudou Issei, correct?" asked Sairaorg-san.

"Yes! Though you can just call me Issei," I said.

"Alright then, Issei. Rias told me quite a lot about the owned-pawn incident when we were younger. We haven't see each other in a while so I wasn't aware she had finally found you. I was curious how you managed to connect to her pawn pieces," said Sairaorg-san, his eyes more curious than I expected.

"Ah well…I couldn't really say. I hadn't even known that they were owned until Akeno told me some time before I met Buchou. From what I understand, they were connected to my soul but I couldn't say how," I said, not being completely truthful.

"Hm…" said Sairaorg-san as he looked into my eyes. It seemed like he was judging what I said. Could he have seen that I was hiding something? "Well it is a strange case. I was only interested because of what happened a long time ago."

I looked at him, confused, since I hadn't heard of any incident involving my pieces with Sairaorg-san. I looked over to Rias for answers and she shrugged.

"Back when we were little, sometime after your pieces first became yours, Sairaorg had come over to play chess. When he touched your pieces, he said that he felt strange and had a vision of an older him fighting a crimson warrior. I thought he was just seeing things but he said he felt something from the vision," explained Rias.

"I felt an incredible sense of excitement from seeing the fight. Although it seemed to be at the end of the fight since the warrior beat me down. The incredible fighting spirit I felt brought something out of me that I had never felt before. I think I've worked harder than I would have, believing that I might one day face that warrior in battle. I look forward to it," said Sairaorg-san, grinning. "It's strange though…When I look at you, I feel just a bit of that excitement again. Is it because your pieces are within you? From what I've seen of you in your Balance Breaker form, from photos, you don't look at all like that crimson warrior."

But it's me! I guess photos of me in my True Queen form haven't shown up. Since Rias didn't see the vision she probably doesn't even realize it was me.

"We should probably head back, Issei. Now that the meeting is over, we'll have to begin training," said Rias as she came to stand next to me.

"Of course! You and Sona are going to have a battle next month. Sorry to eat up all your time. Good luck, Rias. I'll make sure to see your battle through to the end," said Sairaorg-san, grinning.

We waved goodbye to Sairaorg-san and were off back to the Gremory main residence.

* * *

"So, we have days, huh," said Azazel-sensei. We had arrived back at the main house and were in a wide living room with several servants along the walls. Sensei was sitting in a relaxed position while the rest of us sat proper. He looked like he was doing calculations in his head, probably figuring out how to divide us up for our training. Things would be different this time since we're so much more advanced.

"I was told that you already have a list of training schedules for us," said Rias.

"Yeah, I made them on my way back from the meeting with the Maou. I plan to have you all start tomorrow since it's already late. Things will probably get intense, though. I also have plans for the Sitri group as well. It would be bad if I'm seen as being biased," said Sensei, waving his hand nonchalantly. "Anyways, gather in the garden tomorrow morning so I can give you your schedules. Make sure you sleep well. Some of you won't be getting much rest during your training."

"Yes!" shouted everyone.

* * *

 ** _The next day…_**

"Alright everyone," began Azazel-sensei, looking at us who were all in a line, Yumi sitting on some marble railing off to the side. "I'm going to go through all of you and explain what you should work on. All of you guys are actually quite a bit stronger than the average youth of the devils. The Gremory, Sitri, Bael, and Agares groups are the strongest groups of young devils that have been seen in a while but the Gremory and Bael groups are exceptional. You guys are the top when it comes to raw power but there's a lot you could still work on."

Sensei glanced up and down the line and then chose to walk over to Kiba who stood waiting for his training regimen.

"You've already got a good grasp on your Balance Breaker but your body still doesn't seem to handle it all that well for extended periods. You should train to be able to use it for an entire day. For the first 5 days, that will be your main goal. Keeping it out while using it for the whole day. I asked for Sirzechs to lend me your master. He'll be coming after the first five days. He plans to train you again for a few days and then leave you to practice on your own," explained Azazel-sensei while handing Kiba a piece of paper filled with detailed notes. Kiba nodded and sensei waved him off. Kiba left, following a servant who was to guide him to an open area to train.

Sensei then moved on to Xenovia.

"Xenovia, your goal will be to use Durandal while not destroying everything. Your goal is to put out the same power you usually do while controlling what you hit. You waste a lot of power hitting a wide range that you don't need to hit. Work hard to control its power and you'll be able to last longer in battle," explained sensei, handing a paper to Xenovia just like Kiba.

"Next is…Akeno," began sensei before moving to Akeno. "So, you've gotten very good at controlling your Fallen Angel blood and your lightning is impressive. Your problem is that you've focused too much on your lightning. It's important to keep up with training your use of the other elements. I want you to spend this time training to use the other elements with the same power as your lightning and also combining them together for even stronger attacks. Also, don't forget about defensive techniques."

"Alright," said Akeno while receiving her paper. She and Xenovia were guided off to start their training, too.

"And now Gasper. I'll be putting a lot of my focus on you since it will be difficult for you to train. You will be spending all of your time training that strong Sacred Gear of yours. Of course, you also need to deal with your stage fright. It slows down your reaction time. Become a devil your master can be proud of," said Azazel-sensei, grinning.

"Y-Yes!" said Gasper while receiving his paper.

Although Gasper became a little braver after the fight with Sairaorg's peerage in the previous timeline, he can still be a wimp. It will be important for him to work hard on that.

"Now for Rias," began sensei, Rias standing tall. Since Rias hasn't gotten her memory back, she's the farthest behind us in training. "I'll need you to spend this time doing two very important tasks. One, I need you to spend all your free time reading up on the Rating Game. Not just the rules, regulations, and strategy guides, but also famous past games. Learn everything you possibly can until the very last minute before the game. Being knowledgeable about different strategies and methods of achieving victory in the game is the most important duty of the [King]. The second thing is for you to work on the overall power of your magic. Whenever you're not studying, you should be sparring with Akeno using your magic to strengthen it and yourself. Hell, get a servant to read you the Rating Game records aloud while you spar if that helps you be more efficient. Just make sure you work hard on those two. To be completely fair, you're probably the weakest in the group right now. Issei aside, Akeno, Kiba, and Xenovia could probably defeat you in a battle. Gasper and Koneko need a bit more training but they would be able to as well."

Ah…Rias looks frustrated now.

"I know. I have to work hard so I don't disappoint my precious servants," said Rias, her eyes burning with fighting spirit. Azazel-sensei grinned and nodded before turning to Koneko-chan.

"Koneko, I want you to just focus on strengthening your ki. I have something for you, but it won't be ready for a while," said sensei. Koneko-chan tilted her head, cutely, in confusion; wondering what sensei could mean.

"Asia, I'm going to have one of Rias' servants take you over to a few of the major devil hospitals. It will be important to train your stamina up by healing many times," said sensei, speed by Asia as well. Poor Koneko-chan and Asia seem to have just been glossed over.

"Anyways, Ise, I'm sure you know I don't plan to play any games," began sensei before a big gust of wind blew down from up above. I glanced up and smiled.

"Sensei is putting me up against a dragon?" I said, happy to see Tannin-ossan again. Well, for the first time in this timeline.

Tannin-ossan flew down and landed, creating a cloud of dust where he was. The dust dissipated a few seconds later and I stared up, grinning.

"Retired Dragon King, Tannin the Blaze Meteor Dragon. Ise, this will be your training partner," said sensei, grinning.

"Hello there Ddraig. It's been awhile," said Tannin-ossan, looking at my left arm.

[Tannin, how nostalgic. It's been a while,] said Ddraig, speaking out for the first time in a while.

"Truly. This possessor of yours…he's the smallest I've seen. How interesting that he also seems to be the strongest," said Tannin-ossan, looking over me.

[Oh? You'd be surprised. Unless you've hear about _that,_ ] said Ddraig.

"Heard about what?" I asked, curious.

"Young man, did you think I would come if Azazel was the one to call me?" asked Tannin-ossan. I shook my head and he crossed his arms. "Sirzechs told me to come after telling me an interesting story. I'm curious to see how you fair against me without that strange attack of yours."

…Eh?

"EHHHH?! For trying to keep it a secret, Sirzechs-sama sure is telling a lot of people about that!" I shouted in shock. Honestly…Sirzechs-sama, you're even more laid back about these things than I thought.

"Hahaha!" laughed Tannin-ossan before looking down at me. "Anyways, Ddraig, I'm curious…how would you estimate his potential?"

[…] Ddraig was silent for a moment and I looked at my left hand, curiously. I wondered what Ddraig thought we could reach in terms of power. [Well…he's already surpassed the amount of power he would have had if he used Juggernaut Drive. I think his power is something that could even surpass my own when I was at my prime, given half a century or so. As a devil, he'll live long enough to achieve that.]

"Impressive," said Tannin-ossan, rubbing his chin. "So, Azazel, how do you think his training should go. If he's that strong, there's not much I could teach him."

"Well, you see, I thought about it and Issei is probably close to your strength at 100% minus that uber-forbidden move. His 100% in his current form versus 100% using the full power of his Sacred Gear are pretty different, though. I'd like for him to spar, seriously, with you without using his Sacred Gear. Bringing up his base power will help out quite a bit. He also doesn't have any experience fighting powerful dragons either so this will be a good idea. With that terrorist group that seems to be a mix of different mythologies, there's no telling who we might face," explained sensei. Tannin-ossan listened intently to what Azazel-sensei had to say and then closed his eyes as he thought.

"Yes…yes, that would be a good idea. I've never trained a possessor of Ddraig before but I've also never trained someone who could rival me in power. I may not have one of the weaker Dragon Kings but that's still impressive. Alright, we'll start immediately," said Tannin-ossan.

"The limit is 20 days. Don't wear him out too badly, Tannin," said Azazel-sensei, nonchalantly.

Oi! You're not the one who's going to work their butt off fighting a Dragon King in nothing but their base form! Don't say it like it's nothing!

"Now then, the rest of us should go to begin our training. I hope you all do well," said Rias, a fire in her eyes.

"Ise-san, please be careful," said Asia as she was guided away by a servant. Rias and Koneko-chan waved to me before leaving themselves and sensei disappeared at some point from when he last spoke.

"Now then, Sekiryuutei kid, let's go and train on that mountain in the distance," said Tannin-ossan, pointing to the mountain we trained at in the previous timeline. "Your first bit of training is to race me there. You can't use Ddraig's power as Azazel said but feel free to use your dragon wings. You can release them without using your Sacred Gear, correct?"

"Yes!" I said before releasing my Dragon wings. I also pulled out my Devil and Angel wings for good measure. If we're going to be racing, more wings will be useful.

"Ah~, so you do have them? It's so strange to see a devil and dragon with the wings of those pure beings. Well they don't look exactly the same but either ways. Now, are you ready?" asked Tannin-ossan. I grinned and nodded before moving into position. "Ready, set, FLY!"

And we blasted off.

* * *

"What's wrong, Sekiryuutei kid? You're so slow," said Tannin-ossan as I landed on the top of the mountain. It wasn't terribly significant, but I was much slower than I expected without my Sacred Gear. I guess I rely on [Jet] and the speed boost that my Queen and Knight forms give me more than I thought.

"To be fair, your wings are enormous," I said, panting.

"Ahaha, and I'm much bigger as well. Well, it's alright. You lost this time," began Tannin-ossan as I put away my wings. "But now we start some real training."

Tannin-ossan opened his mouth and shot one of his meteor blasts at me, destroying the spot I was just standing on.

I, covered in ki, was floating just above the blast after I had jumped out of the way. Using ki speeds up my movement speed, I just wish it worked that way with my flying speed.

"Is Tannin-ossan trying to kill me?" I said, aloud.

"My training isn't playtime. You should always be on your toes, not just with me, but with any enemy," said Tannin-ossan. He fired off a few more shots at me and I increased the ki concentration in my hands before letting loose dozens of punches. The punches caused air blasts that just blocked the meteor blasts and I landed back on the ground. "Good, good. Now let's try something with a bit more kick."

Tannin-ossan opened his mouth and it almost looked like something was charging up in the back of his throat. I leapt back a bit while creating a spear of light in my hand. I increased its size and prepared myself.

"[GREAT METEOR STRIKE!]" Tannin-ossan shot out a white ball of fire so intense that the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I threw my light spear at the blast but all it could do was slow the blast down enough to give me a chance to leap out of the way. I leapt away but was cut off my Tannin-ossan who suddenly appeared. He threw a punch my way and I smashed my fist into his while increasing the ki in my hand. I gritted my teeth and our punched ended up deflecting off each other, causing us both to flinch back.

I released my dragon wings to stabilize myself since I was in mid-air, but he was faster and spun around to slap me away with his tail. I was launched down into the mountain, making a small crater where I landed.

"Agh…that doesn't feel nice," I groaned, not even moving. Tannin-ossan hovered over me, glaring down.

"Is that all the possessor of Ddraig, the one who had the honor of sparring against one of the Four Great Satans, has?" asked Tannin-ossan.

I gritted my teeth as I pulled myself from the rubble and sighed.

"Time to kick it up a notch then," I said. All the seals restraining my power appeared on my body. I had already unlocked to 60% but that was very obviously nothing to him. I had Ddraig break all the remaining seals and I could feel my full power, of my base form, flow into me. My aura increased greatly and so did my volume of ki. My ki warped around me and I infused it with the fire element, making it glow a dull orange. I looked at Tannin-ossan and leapt up, surprising him. I threw out a punch back by an enormous amount of fiery ki. He went to parry it with a punch of his own but instead my fist knocked his away. I knocked him back and he fell down, hitting the ground. He looked up at me and grinned.

"That's more like it," said Tannin-ossan.

This training seems like it'll be tough.

* * *

 ** _Six days later…_**

"*pant* *pant*…" I was hiding in some brush, exhausted. Tannin-ossan is really tough but he is also much better at surviving than I am. I've struggled to be able to keep myself nourished these past few days while also fighting him, but he doesn't seem to have any trouble. I've seen him quickly gather up a handful of fish from the nearby river and eat them while throwing boulders at me. "I hope sensei comes this time, too. I never some good food. I can't keep eating this raw river fish or I might really die."

"Ara, so he misses his sensei, does he?" said a voice from behind me. I turned and looked up to see Azazel-sensei floating with a tied-up sheet in the shape of a bag. "I brought something, since I know you suck at survival."

"Thank you, sensei!" I shouted as he tossed the bag to me while also flying down. "Is Tannin-ossan?"

"I told him to take a break since I have to talk to you. He said you've really kept him on his toes," said sensei, making me happy. That fact that I can keep someone like a former Dragon King on their toes shows how strong I've become. I know that Sirzechs-sama didn't really go all out in our fight or else I would have easily died but Tannin-ossan is clearly not holding much back. He only holds back when he's trying to teach me something.

"So," I began while pulling out a rice ball from the sheet. "What is there to talk about this time? Koneko-chan shouldn't have collapsed and Akeno shouldn't have any serious issues with Baraqiel-san."

"Well, it actually is related to Akeno," began sensei, causing me to raise a brow. "It's about _that._ "

" _That?_ That…that…Oh! _THAT!_ So, it's almost finished? The cloned body for Akeno's mom?" I asked, surprised.

"Yup. It's pretty good; much better than I anticipated. We've kept it a secret from Baraqiel as well, so we can surprise him. We're just running a few more stability tests. It will be cleared for use after your battle with the Sitri team. You left the stone with Ophis back in Kyoto, I assume?" asked Azazel-sensei.

"Ah, yeah. Ophis should have the gem with Shuri's soul in it. Will it take long for her soul to attach to the new body?" I asked, curious. It's so close. Akeno's mom is almost alive again.

"It should be immediate. Souls don't like to be free and prefer to attach to the nearest, soulless thing. Her soul should be more inclined to attach to something living rather than unliving, so we shouldn't have any issues. I'm looking forward to it. Baraqiel…I've almost righted a bit of the wrong I did to Akeno's father, one of my best friends," said sensei, looking off, happy. "Ise…I want to thank you again. If it wasn't for you and Ophis holding onto Shuri's soul I wouldn't be able to do something like this."

"Sensei, it's also for Akeno. I want her to be happy," I said, seriously.

"Heh, those girls are lucky to have someone kind hearted like you. Do well to conquer them all," said sensei, making me grin and mutter out an 'Of course'. "Well, then, I'll have to go now. I'll let you get back to your training. I will, however, need your help the day after tomorrow with Koneko. She needs some guidance in ki training and I can't help much with that."

I nodded and sensei grinned at me before flying off. As soon as he was gone, I heard a roar and sighed. Back to training I guess.

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **It's a little shorter than I wanted but I didn't want to cut into the next segment because I wanted it to all be together.**_

 _ **I know that some of you weren't happy with me making Sairaorg stronger but I hope the reasoning I gave was somewhat valid. Do remember that one side effect of Ise's time travel was that even those who didn't regain their memory might have certain feelings toward Ise if they had strong feelings towards him in the previous timeline. It's one reason Rias has fallen for Ise so easily and Sirzechs trusts Ise more easily this time around.**_

 _ **Anyways, please review to let me know what you guys thought about this chapter and anything you're looking forward to in the coming chapters. Next chapter will probably be out in two weeks, depending on how the start of the new college semester goes.**_

 _ **Until next time...byeee :D**_


	43. Volume 4 Life 5

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **Aughhhhhhh! FINALLYYYYYY!**_

 _ **These first few weeks of the semester have been so bussyyyyyyyy Dx**_

 _ **I wanted to get this chapter out a week and a half ago but I really didn't have the time or energy to do it and for that I apologize!**_

 _ **I made it longer this time around and I hope it appeases you guys.**_

 _ **Sadly, though, it isn't terribly exciting because of what's going on right now. Hopefully, next chapter will be a bit more exciting.**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.5**

It's finally time for Koneko-chan's training to begin. I was currently walking with Azazel-sensei to the room where Koneko-chan was warming up.

"I've tried to give her what guidance I can based on what I heard Kuroka teaching you, but this kind of thing isn't something I can teach very well. I decided that it would be best to have a ki user train her on how to use ki," said sensei, rubbing the back of his head in frustration.

"Yeah. I guess sensei doesn't know everything," I said, teasing. He gave me a sour look and sighed.

"Ki is an annoying thing to learn and I've never had an interest in it. I just hope that you'll be able to teach her well. I can't get a hold of Vali, so we can't ask Kuroka for help. Let's hope you'll do a good job," said sensei.

I nodded, and he grinned before we arrived at the doors to the room Koneko-chan was in. Sensei pushed the doors open and we found her doing various stretches. Koneko-chan was dressed in her gym uniform and had fingerless gloves on, showing she was ready for something more intense than I had in mind.

"Senpai, sensei," said Koneko-chan after noticing us. She stopped stretching and came to greet us. "I was told Ise-senpai would be training me on ki."

"Ah, yeah. I'll be your ki teacher for now," I said, smiling at her.

"Please take care of me," said Koneko-chan, nodding in understanding. She released her cat ears and tail, signaling Azazel-sensei to leave. He waved and muttered out a 'See ya', shutting the doors as he left. "What will we start with, senpai?"

"Hm…" I said while scratching my head. I had given it some thought since sensei mentioned it the other day, but I wasn't planning to be too rough in training. Koneko-chan looks like she's ready to go all out, though, so I thought it might be good to test her first. "I guess I'd like to start by testing you."

Koneko-chan tilted her head, confused, and I had to hold back a smile from how cutely her ears twitched.

"I want you to release the full power of your ki, that you can control, and come at me. I want to see how much power you can bring out. You've spent this past week getting back to where you were before, right?" I asked.

"Yes! I have been trying to meditate and train to get the same ki control as before. I'm almost at the level I was at before," said Koneko-chan. I nodded and then coated my hand in a layer of white ki.

"Then I want you to hit my hand with that power. Focus it all in your hit with the intent of coming at me seriously. Once I see how far along you are, I think we can begin," I explained. She nodded and jumped back before closing her eyes. She focused, and I could see ki building up in her hands. She was close to how she was before but her level of ki is still pretty low. "Come at me when you're ready."

She opened her eyes and looked at me with a serious expression while she finished focusing her ki. The ki around her hands was larger but she looked like she was straining. Koneko-chan launched at me and threw a hard punch to the palm of my ki covered hand. The punch echoed in the room, but we could both tell that she had done next to nothing against my ki.

"Senpai is too strong," said Koneko-chan as she looked down at her fist.

"That's just because I've been learning ki longer than you have. I have an idea of where you're at, though. To start, I think we'll have to begin with some boring training," I began as I put away my ki. I moved over to a large floor mat and sat down on it, cross-legged, before beckoning Koneko-chan over. I had her sit in front of me in the same position. "We're going to meditate, since that's the best way to strengthen both your ki and your control over it. You looked like you were having trouble bringing out all your ki, so this will be important."

"Okay!" said Koneko-chan, looking serious.

"Close your eyes," I began, Koneko-chan following my instructions immediately. "Now, clear out your thoughts and just focus on the ki inside you. Can you see it?"

"…Yes…" said Koneko-chan.

"Good, now grab hold of it and start molding it. Stretch it, compress it, shape it. This will help you get better at controlling ki. Once you can do it, I'll go and do some more training," I said, simply. This kind of training is one you have to do on your own while having someone who can use ki monitor yours. If I leave a magic circle here, I can monitor Koneko-chan's ki even while training with Tannin-ossan.

Koneko-chan was silent but I could feel her doing what I asked. She looked focused but to make sure she was doing well, I sat for a bit longer. If Kuroka had tried teaching Koneko-chan like I'm teaching her now, then she would have gotten a lot farther. Maybe she just wanted to tease her sister?

* * *

 ** _A couple hours later…_**

I was finally able to return to training with Tannin-ossan. For the first few times I tried to leave, Koneko-chan got distracted and broke her concentration, disrupting her ki. This time, though, I can feel that she's still in control of her ki, meaning her concentration didn't break again. She shouldn't be bothered so, as long as she doesn't get distracted by the silence or boredom, she should be fine until I return later.

Tannin-ossan was happy to see me again and we immediately began training again, though this time I was a little more distracted watching over Koneko-chan. Honestly, where is my familiar when I need her?

* * *

It's been some more time since then and things were fairly normal. My training with Tannin-sama raised my base level some but not as much as we had hoped. Sensei thinks I've hit that level where it would be difficult to grow more unless I was in a life-threatening situation like the ones to come with Loki, Shalba, and Cao Cao.

Koneko-chan, on the other hand, grew much more than I had. She's hitting her own plateau, though. She's gotten much better at manipulating her ki but her concentration during meditation is still bad. She has trouble with getting distracted every time I tried to leave to do my own training, so it would always take a while for her to get started. I'm not sure how to help her focus more.

I have noticed, though, that Koneko-chan is very much unsatisfied with her current level of training. I wish I could teach her better but there's only so much I can do. Compared to people like Kuroka who have had many years of practice, I can't explain it very well. Ah well, Kuroka should appear during the party…hopefully. Maybe I can ask her to help train Koneko-chan then.

Presently, I was in my room meditating while in my boxers. I had just taken a shower and was killing some time before I had to get ready for the party. Things were relatively quiet since everyone was still on their way back. The party wasn't until later at night and it was just after noon.

While focusing my ki, I suddenly heard the door open and I stored away my ki and opened my eyes.

"Ara, was Ise meditating? I'm sorry to interrupt," said Akeno who was just entering my room. "I knocked but there was no answer. I guess you were too focused."

"Ah, yeah, sorry. When did you get back?" I asked, curious.

"Just a while ago. I was bathing," said Akeno. She came up to me as I relaxed out of a crossed-leg position. "How provocative of Ise, sitting around in nothing but his underwear."

I glanced down, remembering I didn't have anything else on and blushed. I hopped to my feet and pulled out a pair of pants from the dresser.

"Ufufu," laughed Akeno as she hugged me from behind. "I can feel it. Ise's gotten stronger, hasn't he? His muscles also seem harder than before. It really gets me hot, you know?"

"A-Akeno, the others will be back soon," I said, trying not to get lost in the way her soft breasts squished on my back.

"Oh? But the others surely wouldn't head for Ise's room immediately, right? So why don't I enjoy Ise's body for a bit. You can enjoy mine as well, you know?" said Akeno, turning me around. She hugged my body tight to hers and my mind swirled as I felt her soft body against mine. Her breasts her pressed against my chest, her soft thighs pressing against mine, and she was clearly not wearing a bra as I could feel her nipples pressing against me.

I blushed and Akeno put on her S-face meaning that she had gone into that wonderful S-mode…I mean! Not wonderful! That's the mode that causes her to tease me without end!

Uoooo~~~! What am I supposed to do with this temptation? If I give in even just a bit, Rias and the others will come in! It always happens like that!

"Mmm…Ise's body really is pleasing," moaned Akeno as she rubbed her hands on my chest. She seemed as fascinated by my muscles as I was with her breasts…it was kind of…exciting?

Akeno looked up at me and her face was flush, and she looked at me with eyes that said 'I want something'.

Uoooohhhh! If you tease me so much you know I won't be able to hold back, you know that, right?!

She stretched up towards my face and I couldn't help but lean in. Our lips were about to touch-

 _Knock knock knock_

Akeno and I glanced over at the open door to find a fuming Rias.

"Ahem. I hope I wasn't interrupting you two," said Rias whose glare was piercing right through me.

"Ara, Ise was right. Rias always shows up when we try to do something naughty," said Akeno, her face still red.

"Eh? Is Akeno-fukubuchou with Ise-san?" asked a voice from behind the door. Asia poked her head in and her eyes immediately began to water. "Uuuuu! Ise-san and Akeno-san were doing something perverted, weren't you?! Akeno-san is trying to get ahead of me again!"

"Ufufu, Asia is cute when she gets jealous. Rias, on the other hand, gets so serious," said Akeno, glaring over at Rias.

"Akeno," said Rias as she came over to us and pulled me towards her. "How many times must I tell you, childhood friend or not, Ise belongs to me."

"Ehh? But Ise wasn't disliking what we were just doing, right Ise? And either ways, Ise has become too manly for me to resist. Even you, Rias, must be wanting him when you look at him," said Akeno, putting on a devious smile.

Rias tensed up a bit before glancing over at me. She bit her lip as she looked me over before looking away and crossing her arms.

"W-Well, I can't say you're wrong, but still. Control yourself. We should be getting ready soon anyways. Onii-sama asked me to come early to talk for a bit about how our training went," said Rias, blushing.

"Eh? Maou-sama did?" asked Asia.

"Ara, if it's Sirzechs-sama then we don't have a choice. I hope we can continue later then, Ise," said Akeno as she winked at me. Rias fumed a bit at what Akeno did, but the trio of girls left, leaving me alone in my room. I sighed.

"…I need to take a cold shower…"

* * *

 ** _Sometime later…_**

Tannin-ossan had come to pick us up a bit later and we had arrived at the high-rise hotel that the party was going to be held. The area for the party was right along the edge of the Gremory territory just outside a large forest.

When we arrived, we were informed that Sirzechs-sama, who had asked us to come earlier so he could talk to us, had to deal with some matters and wouldn't be able to see us.

Having arrived early, Rias decided that we should go up to the room the hotel had prepared for us to rest before the party.

We were currently sitting in the room, just an hour before we would have to enter the meeting place.

"So, now that we have some time, I was wondering how everyone's training went? I haven't seen most of your lately, so I became curious," said Rias, looking interested.

"I feel as though I've improved my speed and power a bit, but I didn't create any special techniques or anything. I had my sensei work me quite hard, so I'd like to think I've improved some," said Kiba, smiling.

"That's good. Yuuto is someone I wasn't very worried about since I know you work hard during your training sessions," said Rias.

"I've gotten better at handling Durandal. It doesn't take much to make it listen to me now. I haven't created any kind of techniques either, since I spent most of my time increasing my base level," said Xenovia, fidgeting with the dress she had on.

"I-I worked hard and have improved a lot with using my Sacred Gear. Sensei said I've reached a good level. A-And he also had me do intense training on my stage fright…" said Gasper, his eyes tearing up as he thought about his training.

"Under senpai's training I can control ki better. I want to get stronger, though…" said Koneko-chan, looking a bit frustrated. Rias smiled at Koneko-chan and patted her head.

"As long as you did your best, I'm sure you've improved a lot. Don't worry too much about it for now," said Rias, comforting Koneko-chan.

"I! I spent a lot of time healing people and I think I've increased my stamina a bit," said Asia, looking proud of herself. Asia probably helped a lot of devils during those 20 days.

"Mm, good job, Asia," said Rias, smiling and nodding. Rias then turned to me, her eyes expectant.

"Ah, well…I don't think I improved much. If anything, my reaction time has improved, but I don't think I got stronger. Azazel-sensei and Tannin-ossan think I've reached a plateau that will be difficult to surpass unless something serious happens," I said, simply.

"That's around what I had anticipated," said Rias, smiling. "I didn't think Tannin would attack you seriously and it's always difficult for people at your level to improve."

Before I could say anything more, we heard a knock on the door and Kiba went to answer it.

A moment later, the Sitri group was walking in; all of them dressed nicely.

"Sona? Bored in your room?" asked Rias, curiously.

"Well, that of course, but I also came to make my declaration. I feel like we're close enough to the date, don't you think?" said Sona-kaichou.

"Ara? You've never been very competitive with me, Sona. I'm surprised," said Rias, standing up to face Kaichou.

"Well, this time is different. I'm putting my dream on the line, so I felt I should be a bit more serious than normal," said Kaichou, adjusting her glasses. They glinted in a sort of superior way.

"I see. Well, I don't plan to lose for both my dream and my precious servants sake. I'll declare it as well- We will win!" said Rias, confident.

"Not if we have anything to say about it," said Sona-kaichou, also confident.

The room was silent, and I could feel the tension between both our groups. Even Saji was glaring over at me with a lot of fighting spirit. Honestly, I was almost bothered by the fact that I knew we weren't going to lose to Kaichou's group. Not when I will have to use most of my power to not insult them.

Even sensei told me that anymore than 50% of my power and no plan Sona-kaichou comes up with will be able to handle me as the Sitri group is now.

 _Attention, Attention!_

There was a voice coming over a kind of intercom on the wall.

 _The meeting room is now ready for the early arrivals. I repeat, the meeting room is now ready. Please make your way to the meeting place at your leisure._

"Arara, has it been over a half hour already?" said Akeno, surprised.

"Let's go down, then," said Rias, relaxing a bit.

"Yes, let's," said Sona-kaichou, doing the same.

Both our groups followed our masters to the meeting place and the party began.

* * *

When we arrived downstairs, I was surprised to see that there were already a lot of devils in the meeting place. I had almost forgotten how extravagant the meeting place was and there were all sorts of people dressed in formal attire and being served wine by maids.

Just after we had arrived, Rias dragged me along to meet various high-class devils. The number of them was much greater than the first time because I had made a much bigger impact after defeating Raiser and Kokabiel by myself. There were even a few devils who asked Rias if she would trade me. She refused, of course.

It took over an hour and a half for us to make our rounds of greetings and I was worn out from having to act so proper and formal. It still felt strange to me, but I'd just have to get used to it.

Xenovia had just brought food for Asia, Gasper, and myself and we were all sitting calmly eating when…

"Ahem!" said a voice from behind me. I turned, part way through eating something, to find Ravel behind me. Hehe…just like last time. "I apologize for interrupting you just as you've begun eating. I thought I'd greet you since it's been a while."

"Ah, the sister of that yakitori, right? A member of the Phoenix family," I said, still playing dumb on her name.

"The name is Ravel Phoenix! Geez, this is why low-class devils are such a bother. You didn't even bother to learn the name of someone important like myself," said Ravel, pouting.

"Well, sorry about that…? Anyways, how is your brother doing?" I asked, curious how Raiser reacted to our fight this time.

"For a while he was in quite low spirits and refused to leave his room out of shame. After hearing of your battle with a Cadre, though, he perked up. He said you must have been some kind of power-monster and that he shouldn't feel bad for losing. He's currently asked the elders of the family to reteach him what it means to be a Phoenix. He hopes to get stronger. Well, I think it's a good lesson for him. Our older brother should have been an example that you can't rely on talent alone," explained Ravel.

"Haha, you're so merciless. You were a part of that guy's group, weren't you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well, not at the moment. I just finished being traded back to my mother and since she doesn't participate in the games, I'm a free bishop," said Ravel, looking relieved. "A-Anyways, Sekiryuutei-"

"Please stop with that. My name is Issei, just call me that, please," I said, smiling at her.

She blushed a bit and nodded.

"T-Then, *cough* I'll oblige and call you Ise-sama," said Ravel, blushing even more.

"Heh, that seems a bit too formal, don't you think?" I asked, smiling at her.

"N-No! This is an important matter. Anyways, I can see one of the servants of my house waving at me. N-Next time we meet would you like to have tea with me? A-A-A-And m-maybe some homemade cake p-p-p-prepared by me?" said Ravel, stuttering and blushing like a schoolgirl.

"I'd like that. If it's cake by someone like you then I'm sure it will be good," I said, smiling. Ravel's cakes were delicious, and she loves to be complimented. I might as well compliment her now.

"T-T-T-Thank you! I must be going now!" said Ravel, smoke coming out of her ears and her face bright red. She curtsied to me before running off in a panic.

"Ara, since when did Issei become a lady killer?" asked Xenovia, making me blush in embarrassment.

Before I could respond, I felt a familiar ki in the distance. I glanced over to where Koneko-chan was getting something to drink and she looked back at me with a bit of a serious expression. We both nodded, and I began to get up while Koneko-chan walked towards the door.

"Eh? Ise-san? Is it that?" asked Asia. I nodded as I pushed my seat in.

"Yeah. I'll be back soon with Koneko-chan. Xenovia, don't eat my food," I said, scolding. Xenovia just grinned at me and I sighed.

I walked towards the doors and out of the room. I could see Koneko-chan wave to me as the elevator doors on her elevator closed. I walked over and hit the button for the elevator and waited, patiently, as another opened up.

Just like before, as the doors were closing, Rias slipped in.

"What's wrong? Your expression changed?" asked Rias, worried.

"Koneko-chan and I felt a familiar ki. She's going to go first, and I'll follow," I said, simply. Rias looked at me, curious but concerned.

"I see…it must be someone important for you both to react like that. I'm worried so I'll go as well," said Rias, smiling at me. I smiled back, and the doors opened immediately after.

We exited on the first floor and I followed Koneko-chan's ki, making sure we kept our distance. Rias and I eventually made it into the forest and we wandered through the shadows of the trees until we came across the familiar opening.

I put my arm out as Rias followed me and she stopped, both of us then hid behind a bush.

We watched Koneko-chan look around, her expression nervous since she would be meeting her sister again for the first time in this timeline. I felt like things would be very different this time around because of my interactions with Kuroka.

Koneko-chan stopped looking around and focused on where Kuroka's ki was. Kuroka then walked out from the brush, looking confident, but I could tell she was nervous.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" asked Kuroka, sounding serious.

"Nee-…sama…" said Koneko-chan, her emotions kind of everywhere.

"Hello, Shirone. Your onee-chan's come to visit," said Kuroka, smiling at her.

"What is Nee-sama doing here after so long?" asked Koneko-chan, wondering how things have changed this time around.

"Nyaa~, Shirone is making such a scary face," began Kuroka before smiling. "Don't worry, I just had a bit of business to take care of. Of course, I would be interested if I heard about a big party, though. I came over to see how things were. I guess he's been teaching you about ki properly if you managed to feel the bit of ki I let out to attract you."

Koneko-chan was silent but nodded in response to the last thing she said.

"Nyaanyways…so I heard that you've become a member of that Gremory group? I don't have anything against them in particular and I was told you would be safe there. Well, there was also something else I was almost hoping for when I came here. Well, nya, I doubt you'd agree and he wouldn't be very happy if I tried to do anything nefarious with you, even if you are my precious sister," said Kuroka, sighing.

I was about to come out of the bushes, thinking Kuroka knew I was there when Bikou leapt down next to her.

"It must be nice, huh, Kuroka? Getting to have a family reunion like this. Ah, well, we might as well have our other guests come over, right?" said Bikou before grinning in my direction.

I sighed and stood up, Rias staring at me in shock.

"Nyaa~, didn't I tell you that hiding your ki is useless against masters? You have to disguise the ki in your life force otherwise we can still find you even if you hide the rest of your ki," said Kuroka, scolding me in a cute voice.

"Yo, Bikou, Kuroka," I said, waving.

"Issei," said Rias, making me stop and turn to look at her. She looked seriously angry and was glaring over at Kuroka and Bikou. Of course, I shouldn't have been so lax. These two are considered high ranking criminals. "What in the world is going on?"

"Ah, sorry, I wanted to tell you when we finally met them properly. Bikou and Kuroka there are allies of Vali, my rival," I began, Rias' face clearing up a bit.

"I see. So they know the Hakuryuukou. That still doesn't answer the question of what is going on and why are you acting like two high-ranking criminals are your friends," said Rias.

"Ah well, Buchou you see there are special circumstances about their crimes. I'll explain it to you when we're in private since we might be being watched by the Khaos Brigade," I began, causing Rias to glance around, suspiciously. "As for why I'm acting so close, Kuroka and Bikou taught me how to use my ki, though Kuroka gave me a majority of the training. She's also my unofficial familiar."

"Your what?! An SS-criminal is your familiar? Onii-sama would never allow-," began Rias before I cut her off.

"I already mentioned it to Sirzechs-sama, but I told him off the record. He doesn't mind as long as I don't make it a well-known fact. Only our group knows along with Yumi, Valerie, Vali, Azazel-sensei, and a few other important people," I explained.

"I…see," said Rias, still looking skeptical. She turned to Koneko-chan and put on a worried expression. "Are you alright with this, Koneko? After what Kuroka put you through?"

Koneko-chan was silent for a moment and I could see Kuroka was tense.

"…I," began Koneko-chan. "I want to become stronger for Buchou and Ise-senpai. I can't become stronger with just Ise-senpai's help. I need Nee-sama's help. If I get her help, I think I can definitely become someone useful to Buchou. I don't think I can forgive her yet…but I think I am alright with how things are right now."

Rias nodded and then turned to Kuroka.

"You've caused Koneko a lot of grief over the years. Your actions almost had her killed. I hope you plan to do everything you can to make up for that," said Rias, seriously.

"Nyaa…I already know. Isecchi told me about it. He found out about Shirone before he met me and was keeping track of her situation. Nyai plan to do what I can for Shirone. We nekoshou live long, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to make up for it," said Kuroka, smiling over at Koneko-chan with a sheepish look.

"Isecchi?" I said, a bit confused. Since when did she start calling me that?

"Nyan! Do you like it? I thought calling you 'Sekiryuutei-kun' was too formal considering our master-familiar relationship so nyai made up something cute-sounding," said Kuroka, beaming at me. She seemed really proud of such a simple nickname.

"Ah, well, it's…unique, I guess," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. Kuroka was still beaming and I sweat-dropped a bit.

"Kuroka~! Let's go back. It's boring being here any longer if we can't enjoy the party," whined Bikou, before yawning.

"Mmm~ I feel like I should do something before we leave. Since I don't know when we'll see each other again, nyan~," said Kuroka, putting a finger to her chin while she thought.

Rias moved over to Koneko-chan and put a hand on her head while glaring over at Kuroka.

"You're not taking Koneko with you if that's what you are thinking. If you want to train her at all it will have to be in my territory," said Rias, seriously.

"Nyaaa~, I wasn't thinking about such things, you know. Isecchi would probably be against it as well. I was thinking more about becoming a proper familiar since my master has finally become a devil," said Kuroka, pointing over at me.

"Oi, are you sure? You'll definitely have to treat him like your proper master and you'll have to follow his orders. Are you really okay with that?" asked Bikou, looking bothered. He and Kuroka were always the more freely moving members of the Vali team, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was against Kuroka being tied down.

"I'm fine with that, but I know Isecchi is better than that. I think he'll be a good master," said Kuroka, smiling.

"I can't believe I'm going to allow this," said Rias, rubbing her temples. Kuroka giggled before walking up to me and looking me in the eyes.

"Are you ready, _Master?_ Nyaa~," said Kuroka, seductively. I blushed and looked away, making her giggle again.

"Issei, do you know how to draw the magic seal?" asked Rias.

"Yes, I think I remember it from when Asia bound Rassei," I said before creating a magic circle with the pattern. "It's something like this, right?"

"Yes, but you'll have to draw it on the ground," said Rias, making me smile.

"Let me try…this!" I said before expanding the magic circle and pressing it into the ground behind Kuroka. I burned the ground with the shape of the magic circle and released it, leaving an imprint in the ground.

"That will work. Good job, Issei," said Rias, smiling at me.

Kuroka took a few steps back and stood in the middle of the circle. I closed my eyes and focused my demonic energy on the magic circle I had just drawn.

"I, Hyoudou Issei, member of the Gremory house," I began, causing the drawn circle to glow a faint red. "Take this nekoshou, named Kuroka, as my familiar."

The magic circle glowed brighter before coming off the ground and encircling Kuroka. The circle then shrunk around her until it disappeared inside of her, causing her to touch where it disappeared.

"You two are now master and familiar. Issei can call upon you no matter where you are but you'll have to transport yourself," said Rias, speaking to directly Kuroka.

"Nyaa~ Aren't you happy to finally have me as 'yours', Isecchi?" asked Kuroka, grinning as she pulled my arm between her breasts.

Koneko-chan forced her way in between us, pouting.

"Nee-sama, get off! Ise-senpai belongs to me," said Koneko-chan, clinging to be while she glared at her sister. Ah~ Koneko-chan is so cute when she gets jealous like this~!

"Nyahahaha! So Shirone's also fallen for Isecchi? It seems it's true what they say. Strong dragons always attract all sorts of women," said Kuroka, smiling. "Well, I think I'll end it at that, then. Vali-nya will get mad if we waste too much time. Let's go monkey-san."

Kuroka opened up a spatial tear and waved before disappearing through it.

"Nice seeing you again, little dragon. Don't slack on ki training or you'll get it from Kuroka," said Bikou as he followed Kuroka through. The tear closed up almost immediately and we were left in silence.

It was only a few seconds before I heard a clear 'Ahem' from behind me. I turned to find Rias, her arms crossed, looking at me with an expectant expression.

"I think you have some explanations for me?" said Rias, smiling.

This is going to be a long night…

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 ** _Please Review and let me know what you all thought and what your hopes are for the coming events!_**

 ** _I hope to get the next chapter up just after Valentine's Day but I make no promises!_**

 ** _Until next time...byeee :D_**


	44. Volume 4 Life 6

_**Hey guys, MT here!**_

 _ **I know, I know, I took wayyyy too long to get this chapter out.**_

 _ **I really didn't want to end this chapter any earlier and I wasn't satisfied with how far I had progressed so I hope you'll forgive me in exchange for spending a bit more time on this chapter!**_

 _ **I honestly don't know how I once was able to churn out 1 chapter a week back in my older stories. Well, anyways, I hope you guys like this almost 6k word chapter!**_

 _ **ENJOY!**_

* * *

 **Life.6**

It's been some time since we met Kuroka and Bikou again. We had gone back to the party, which hadn't been cancelled this time because Kuroka and Bikou's visit had only been found out by the Maou and a few other high-ranking devils at the party. Sirzechs-sama seemed happy that I had officially made Kuroka my familiar, but he wanted me to continue keeping it a secret.

I promised to explain everything to Rias when we got back to the Gremory household and she seems to understand that Team Vali were double agents for our side.

Now we were on our way back to the human world on the train leading from the Gremory territory. Koneko-chan was presently asleep, as was Gasper, both of them using my lap as a pillow. Although I enjoyed Koneko-chan's soft head on my thigh, Gasper being in the same position gave me mixed feelings.

One important thing to mention is that the battle with Kaichou's group had passed and it was a slaughter.

Sona-kaichou asked me not to play around during the battle despite knowing just how powerful I am. Rias also asked that of me, since she didn't want to insult her rival and best friend in their first Rating Game.

Sensei was right in that using 60% of my power would overwhelm anything Kaichou tried to do. Using Saji to try and suck out my blood didn't work because the ki surrounding my body blocked his line of connecting directly to my body. Any attempts Kaichou made to hide herself or confuse us were thwarted because of how well Koneko-chan and I could follow her and her servants ki. In the end, we wiped them out with almost no trouble and we received high praise from the higher-ups who had watched the game, including the jii-san from Europe, Odin-sama.

I had heard that Sona-kaichou's group still received praise from all the strategies she came up with and that she shouldn't feel back because our group, mostly myself, were too powerful for even devils experienced in Rating Games. I heard that Kaichou was particularly depressed, but she said that she wouldn't back down from just this. I'm happy it didn't hurt her too much.

Either ways, I could feel the train jolt a bit as it was coming to a stop and I nudged my two sleeping kouhai awake. We walked off the train and I waited, irritated, for the scene to play out again.

"Now then, everyone. We'll be returning home now and-," began Rias before being interrupted.

That bastard was here. He walked up, causing to wonder why another of the young devils was here.

"Asia Argento," he began, looking at Asia who was holding back her trembling. After all, Asia knew exactly what happened that day when she helped Diodora, and how all the pain she endured was for nothing. "We finally meet."

"…A-Ah…so it's you," said Asia, her voice shaking. She glanced over at me and I could tell what she needed. I walked over behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, calming her down a bit. It also helped me not want to smash this bastard's face in.

"Oi, you stranger. What do you want with my Asia?" I said, trying to scare him off.

"I'm glad that you remembered me," said Diodora, ignoring what I said. Oi, oi, oi, you shithead. Last time I was just a worthless, weak Sekiryuutei devil, but this time I've accomplished some serious deeds, you know. Don't ignore me like I'm a nobody so you can try to hurt Asia again.

"…You're…Diodora, aren't you? The heir to the Astaroth family," said Rias, curiously.

"Yes," said Diodora before trying to take Asia's hand. She flinched back into me and he sighed. "Asia, I came to meet you. You saved my life that time so long ago. I heard you suffered greatly for healing me that time. I'm sorry about that. I wanted to find you again after that, but I wasn't able to. When I saw you at the meeting, though, I thought it was fate. Destiny. I want you to become my wife, Asia. I love you."

I was seething so much at his words that I almost let out some of my bloodlust when he said, 'I love you'. I wanted to break his handsome face in and make him suffer for what he did to Asia. I knew it wasn't time, but it was almost painful to hold back. Asia grabbed my shirt and I relaxed a bit since I knew that Asia was extremely unsettled by having to relive this situation.

"…I-I'm s-sorry but I couldn't-," began Asia, nervously. Diodora put up a silencing hand.

"Please do not give me your answer yet. It's been far too long, and I know that I must win your heart first. I will be sure to keep in contact with you so please rest easy," said Diodora. He gave a quick farewell and disappeared with a magic circle leaving us all dumbfounded. Rias noticed again how Asia and my reactions were to Diodora, but she didn't seem to want to get in the middle of it just yet.

* * *

 ** _Two weeks later…_**

This morning I finished destroying the fifth package sent by that bastard Diodora to try and win over Asia. Asia, of course, didn't even want to look at the gifts or letters.

She was trying to ignore what was going on, but she was noticeably quieter at school and home.

"Hyoudou~," said the perverted girl with glasses, Kiryuu. Kiryuu became good friends with Asia and Xenovia just like before. She also seemed to want to be friends with me as well, rather than tease me as a member of the perverted trio. Motohama and Matsuda were currently out of the classroom, trying to spy on the girls in the restroom.

"Kiryuu, what's up?" I said, knowing what she was going to ask.

"Mm, I wanted to ask about Asia. She seems to be acting weird. I had wondered if something happened?" asked Kiryuu, looking worried. Ah~, I'm glad Asia has someone outside of our group that cares about her so much.

"…Well…some complicated things have come up that have been stressing her," I said, trying not to reveal too much.

I glanced over at Asia who looked to be having a happy conversation with some of the other girls in class. I could feel Kiryuu's stare and I turned back to look at her.

"I wonder if it's because she has so much competition," said Kiryuu, smiling at me. I sighed and looked off.

"I wish that was the problem," I said.

"Ohoh~? Did Hyoudou finally succumb to Asia's cuteness and do something to her?" asked Kiryuu, sneering at me. I blushed and jumped up.

"That's not it! Why do you always have to think about that?" I asked.

"That's because Hyoudou, although being a favorite of the girls in school, acts perverted with the girls he's close with," said Kiryuu, grinning.

"Agh," I groaned before slumping back into my seat. I guess that's still true. At least I'm not hated by the girls of this school like before.

"Attention, everyone!" said the teacher, catching our attention. Kiryuu went to sit down and everyone looked at the teacher. "Ara? Where did Motohama-kun and Matsuda-kun run off to? Ah, well, that's fine. I wanted to announce that we will be receiving a transfer student."

"EHHHHH?!" shouted all the class except Asia, Xenovia, and myself.

"Yes, yes, I know it's strange when we've already received several transfer students this year with Xenovia, Asia, Hyoudou, Yumi, and Valerie but we have another late comer. Please welcome them with open arms," said the teacher before going out to get the new student.

"I wonder if it will be another cute boy like Hyoudou-kun?" said one of the girls in class.

"I hope it's another beautiful girl!" shouted one of the guys, excitedly. Some of the other boys cheered out.

"If it is, then Hyoudou-san will probably take her," said another of the girls, causing some of the guys to glare at me.

"Hyoudou has enough girls in his life. Hyoudou! You better save this one for us!" shouted another of the guys.

"Settle down now, all of you," said the teacher as she walked back in. "Please come in now."

Behind the teacher appeared Irina who began to quickly look around the room.

"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted the guys in the room.

"A bishoujo! It's a bishoujo!"

"Hyoudou, save her for us!"

"She looks like a beautiful foreigner!"

Irina seemed happy to see familiar faces and bowed to the class.

"My name is Shidou Irina. I used to live here when I was young, but I've returned from overseas. Please take care of me!"

"You can sit further in the back since there is an open seat," said the teacher, directing Irina to a seat near the end of my row. "Please help Shidou-san catch up with the class everyone. I don't want her to fall behind since she isn't used to Japanese schools."

Irina began walking down my row and I prayed she wouldn't do anything that would make the guys in the class hate me more.

"Ise-kun!"

Ah, yeah…I'm more of a devil than an angel.

"Ise-kun, what a _coincidence_!" shouted Irina before giving me a quick hug. I could feel the intense glares of the guys in class and I sighed. My school life will just get rougher from here on, won't it?

* * *

"So…how come Irina is here?" asked Yumi who was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to one of the couches.

"Irina, here, is going to be joining us here at Kuoh," said Rias, simply.

"Hi, hi everyone! I've returned!" shouted Irina, happily waving at everyone.

"Shidou Irina-san, I welcome you to Kuoh Academy," said Sona-kaichou, calmly from the background. She looked a bit restless; probably still feeling the defeat.

"I've come as a messenger of the angels since Michael-sama wanted someone from Heaven's side here!" explained Irina.

"I told that fool that he didn't need to waste his time," said sensei who was leaning back at Rias' desk, nonchalantly.

"P-Please don't speak so rudely about my precious leader! And Michael-sama felt bothered that no one was here to represent Heaven's side. He wanted me to come to be of use in protecting the site of the treaty," said Irina.

"Yeah, yeah," said sensei, waving a hand dismissively.

"I assume the way you said that about Michael-sama means you know, correct?" asked Xenovia, staring intently at Irina.

"Yes…I know about the Lord's absence…but I can't let that stop me! The Lord left behind so much that must be protected and upheld! Ah, Lord! Rest in peace knowing your faithful servants will continue to carry out your will!" said Irina as she prayed.

I stiffened a bit since sensei and I were the only ones who knew the truth about Elohim-sama. I glanced over at sensei, but he just narrowed his eyes, signaling me to move on.

"I feel the same, Irina-san! Let's work together from now on!" said Asia, confidently.

"Ah~! Asia-san! I'm sorry for being mean to you before with Xenovia! Let's be friends this time around and do the Lord's will!" said Irina, grabbing hold of Asia's hands. Xenovia put her hands on theirs and looked between them.

"The three of us will. Together," said Xenovia.

"Amen~!" said the Church trio, reunited. I sweat-dropped at their conversation since it was as strange as the first time around.

"That aside, I almost forgot to mention to you, Rias. Irina is a reincarnated angel now. I'm assuming you heard about the new Brave Saints system being implemented in Heaven. I mentioned to the others, but you weren't around at the time," said sensei, trying to be sly. Rias and Irina still haven't recovered their memories, so they still had to be kept in the dark about things.

"Yes, I heard about it from Onii-sama. He seemed excited since it may create some interesting situations in the future between the Evil Pieces and the Brave Saints cards," said Rias.

"Yes! This angel, Shidou Irina, will be here to help all of you! Please take care of me!"

Irina made a funny pose and I had to hold back a snicker. This girl has too much energy.

* * *

 ** _A few days later…_**

It's been a few days since then and we had discovered that our fight with that bastard Diodora had been decided. I was anxiously waiting to crush him for the torment he caused Asia, but I would have to wait. Asia and I ended up deciding to perform in the sports festival again, also in the three-legged race. We haven't had to practice as much since we are, surprisingly, still in sync with each other. I've spent most of the extra time I had making preparations for when we face off against Diodora and then Shalba. Most are to protect Asia in case they use some magic I'm not familiar with. With the way things are changing, I wonder how they've changed?

Right now, we're watching videos and discussing the matches of the other groups. It's hard to judge how much Sairaorg's group has changed since his group dominated that yankee, Zephyrdol, just like previously.

"Alright, everyone. I have your graphs ready from your match. Look them over carefully," said sensei before activating some techniques. A hologram of the graphs appeared, and I could see everyone's stats. "Originally, these graphs were only going to contain data on the [King] of each group but I convinced those old devils to carefully review all the household members, too. It's important to know where you all stand. Of course, I can only show you the members of your own group, though."

I was surprised that sensei had done something like that and I curiously looked through. Rias' stats were the same aside from the [King] category. It was much higher than before, and I think that is because of how much better than we did compared to previously against the Sitri group.

The other members stats varied but I was more curious about my own. I looked at mine and almost gaped. The categories shown were: Power, Technique, Support, Wizard, and one I didn't know, RU. Aside from support, all of them were maxed out, support only being about three-quarters full.

"That's what being an all-rounder means, Ise," said sensei, grinning at me. I looked up at him, still surprised. "Among the young devils, you have the highest stats, even beating Sairaorg, though only because of wizardry."

"Um…sensei, what is the RU category?" I asked.

"RU stands for 'Rank-Up'. Everyone except the [King] has this category. It's another request I made. Those old codgers would normally be against it, but I gave them a good argument and Sirzechs looked excited for it," explained Azazel-sensei. "It's essentially a percentage of how likely the higher-ups think you will rank-up to high- or ultimate-class devil. Among you, only four are expected to make it to at least high-class, those being: you, Ise, Akeno, Kiba, and Xenovia. Ise, you're the only one who is guaranteed to become an ultimate-class devil. All the higher-ups, as well as the Maou who voted: Sirzechs, Serafall, and Ajuka, all believe in your potential. You should feel proud of yourself for that."

I was staring wide-eyed when Azazel-sensei said something like that. To think that all the higher-ups and Maou believe in my abilities so much. I'll have to thank Sirzechs-sama, Serafall-sama, and Ajuka-sama when I see them for having so much faith in a simple guy like me.

I felt someone hug my side and I glanced over to see Koneko-chan hugging me, her cat ears twitching in a cute way.

"Senpai has worked harder than almost any devil. He deserves praise every once in a while," said Koneko-chan, smiling up at me. I smiled down at her and pet her head, making her purr.

"Thank you, Koneko-chan," I said, simply.

"Ufufu, it's true that Ise has worked hard. I wonder if he's worked harder than even Sairaorg-san," said Akeno, catching my interest.

"Ah, speaking of that guy…it's been decided that he will be your next opponent after Diodora," said sensei, making all of us tense up a bit in excitement.

"So early? I thought we would fight Glaysa-Labolas first…" said Rias before seeing a crying Zephyrdol surrender on the TV where the matches were playing. "I guess someone that pitiful wouldn't be able to fight anymore."

"You catch on fast," said sensei, mockingly. "You guys should be careful. His group is stronger than you think."

Azazel-sensei's words were different this time. He was telling us who remembered that Sairaorg wasn't the only one to get stronger. So, his peerage have also increased in strength? I guess it's not surprising that Sairaorg would train them harder while he was also training himself harder.

While I was deep in my thoughts, I felt the surge of a familiar magic circle and my eyes unfocused as I focused on it. So that bastard was going to come and try to trade [Bishop], huh?

I didn't want him anywhere near Asia, so I created a magic circle in the palm of my hand that blocked him from teleporting here. Rias noticed it immediately and I could feel her become wary.

"Issei? What are you doing?"

"Nothing terrible, Buchou. I'm just keeping out annoying visitors," I said, smiling. She seemed suspicious of me and walked over.

"Issei, if you're blocking someone important from coming here-," scolded Rias.

"Ise…you shouldn't block them. Let them in now. You shouldn't use your powers for things like this," said sensei, surprising me. So this is something I shouldn't stop?

I grudgingly released the magic I was using and a magic circle with the Astaroth symbol on it appeared a couple seconds after. I sighed, irritated, and I felt Asia drift behind me while Koneko-chan keeping hold on me. They both know I don't like this bastard so they're keeping me from doing anything that could get Rias in trouble.

Diodora appeared a moment later and his magic circle disappeared.

"Hello all. It is I, Diodora Astaroth. I hadn't heard anything back so I came to check on Asia."

"Hello, Diodora. What brings you here?" said Rias, crossing her arms.

"I came to discuss somethings about Asia. It was quite strange, though. It took a bit of time for my magic circle to teleport me. Are your defenses that thorough, Rias-san?" asked Diodora, walking over to her.

Rias glanced at me and then back at him. He followed her glance but seemed mostly confused.

"What is it you want with my dear Asia?" asked Rias.

"Ah, well, I will just say it directly. I would like to trade [Bishop]," said Diodora. I ground my teeth together at his words and Rias didn't look particularly happy either.

"You know, Diodora, some might call this sort of thing an obsession, don't you think?" said Rias.

"Ahaha, well love can do such things," he began, making a bit of my aura leak out in anger. I quickly reeled it back in when I felt Koneko-chan's grip on me tighten. "I plan to give quite a high-level bishop in return, of course. I may even offer more than one piece if you would-"

"I'm sorry, Diodora, but I have _no intention_ of trading away any of my precious servants, regardless of how good the pieces you offer are," said Rias, seriously. "I'm sure you know how much the Gremory care for their servants."

"…I thought that that love would make things difficult. I see that this method wouldn't work. I will return for today, but, Asia," began Diodora, looking past Rias at Asia who was still partly behind me. "I will not give up on you."

Asia trembled a bit against my back and, before Diodora could walk towards her, Rias cut into his line of sight.

"You know, Diodora…you asked if my defenses were strong enough to block your teleportation. They aren't," said Rias, smiling at him.

"Hm? If not for that then…?" said Diodora before looking around. When he looked in Akeno's direction, she giggled and pointed over at me. He looked at me and then sighed. "So, the filthy dragon…well, I have to return now. I had heard just before coming that the date for our game is soon. Only five days. Please prepare well."

And then he was gone using another magic circle. I breathed out a heavy sigh and glared at where he was. I'm going to end up killing that bastard before Shalba does at this rate.

I turned my head to look at Asia and stretched my arm out to pat her head.

"Don't worry, Asia. I won't let a bastard like him take you," I said, seriously. Asia seemed to relax a little at my words and she smiled at me.

"Are you ever going to tell me what he did to you both?" asked Rias, sounding worried.

"…That bastard, Diodora, is the devil that ruined Asia's life with the church by taking advantage of her. I also think that he's doing something bad in the background with the Khaos Brigade," I said, trying not to reveal too much.

"The Khaos Brigade? I hope you have a good reason to think that, Issei," said Rias, looking at me, suspiciously. She waited for my response, but I felt like I shouldn't say more, otherwise it might affect the timeline too much. "*sigh* Fine. I assume you don't want to say anything you aren't sure about. I won't mention your suspicions to Onii-sama, but if you really believe that he is working with the Khaos Brigade, please say something before someone dies."

I nodded, and Rias sighed before going to sit on the couch. Sensei played the next match that we should watch, and things calmed down after that…for now at least.

* * *

 ** _Three days later…_**

"Hahhh~," I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror. Just like before, we were getting interviewed by a big devil TV program and I was stressed since I had to do this sort of thing again. I didn't want to waste time like this when I was busy making preparations, but I didn't really have a choice. At the very least, I was curious about how this would go. In this timeline, 'Oppai Dragon' doesn't exist. Would I still be popular among the kids? Maybe they would find something else to like about me?

I felt a wonderful sensation on my back and I smiled before looking up to see who it was. I could see Rias' reflection as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"You look bored, Issei," said Rias, smiling at my reflection.

"Ah, yeah, but I'm more stressed. I don't want to say anything that will get you into trouble," I said, sheepishly. I feel like I had been doing that a little too often lately.

Rias let out a muffled laugh and tilted my head, confused.

"So you were aware that you were doing that?" asked Rias, teasingly. I blushed and muttered out a 'Sorry', causing her to tighten her arms and bring her face next to mine, leaning her cheek against mine. "It's fine, Issei. I know that that is just how you are. You won't take insults or threats against those you care about lightly, and you refuse to back down. I can't say it doesn't cause me trouble, but I can't be angry with you for it. You are one of my precious servants."

Ah~, Rias you really make me happy when you say things like that. You really care about us. I also think that your feelings really haven't changed for me despite how different our situations have been. I really hope you do remember, Rias!

"Issei…"

Hm? Rias' tone changed.

"I know that you and Asia aren't comfortable talking about it, but…what happened…between you and Diodora?"

"…"

I couldn't answer immediately since Rias still doesn't know. On top of the fact that Diodora hasn't done everything I hate him for yet.

"Buchou," I began. "You know that Asia once saved Diodora using her Sacred Gear, right?"

"I had heard about it. Is it because of what happened to Asia after she helped a devil?" asked Rias.

"No, it's the whole reasoning behind it. We found out afterward that Diodora set the whole thing up. He wanted Asia to become his women, so he injured himself and had her heal him, so she would be exiled from the church. He was going to capture her then while she was in despair. I saved her first, though," I explained, leaving out some details.

I could feel Rias' aura grow a bit and her refection showed her angry expression.

"To think he did such a thing Asia and has the gall to try and win her over after-," said Rias, seething.

"That's not enough to attack him for, yet," I said, sighing. Rias' aura calmed and her reflection was confused. "I think he's going to try something during the Rating Game."

"Then we will just have to win and crush him," said Rias, her eyes determined. I smiled and put my hand on one of Rias' hands, which were still around my neck.

"We were going to win anyways," I said, going along with it. We won't even get the chance to have an actual game. We'll just defeat him.

"Rias Gremory-sama, it's time," said one of the producer's assistants. We were led over to where the producer looked to be directing things and he smiled when he saw us coming.

"Ah, Rias Gremory-sama and her servant. The others should- Ah! There they are," said the producer before Kiba, Asia, and the others appeared together. They were following a pair of the producer's assistants. "Now that you all are together, please follow me and we will begin with the interview."

As we were walking, I saw posters for the different youth devil groups and on a TV in one of the main areas, there was a recording playing of Sairaorg's interview. For some reason, his happened earlier today as opposed to how it was before.

We arrived at the recording studio and the producer left us in the care of the interviewer.

"Hello, everyone. I'll be handling all the interviews for today," said the interviewer. She looked us over and smiled. "Although Rias-sama will most likely receive the most questions, a few among you will also receive many questions. The most popular ones would be Kiba Yuuto-sama and Himejima Akeno-sama."

Kiba and Akeno held up their hands to acknowledge their names being called and the interviewer smiled.

"You two have been rising in popularity as of late so please be prepared. The other one who would be receiving a large number of questions would be Hyoudou Issei-sama, the Sekiryuutei. Rather than rising in popularity, there's just so much mystery surrounding you that many people, devils and other alike, that want to get to know you," said the interviewer, smiling at me. Unlike last time, she actually recognizes me this time. This _is_ different than before, though. She also didn't mention a separate interview. I guess Oppai Dragon really is dead…Quiet down, Ddraig.

"Why don't we begin now?" said the interviewer. We all made ourselves comfortable in the interview room and so the interviews started.

* * *

Some time had passed, and Rias and the others had all received their questions. It seemed like I was going to be last and I could feel the interviewer and the staff outside get tense.

"And now, the questions for the Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei-sama," said the interviewer, smiling awkwardly at me. I waved to the camera and then turned back to her before she began. She looked at some notecards she had and then took a breath. "Hyoudou Issei-sama, our first question is: what your level of power is?"

"Hm…? Ah, well, I've been told that I'm nearly Maou-class. The old Maou of course. Devils like Sirzechs-sama are way beyond me," I said, jokingly. And I've experience that first hand.

"O-Oh~! So, you're at a like such as that? We here at the station saw your statistics and were quite surprised to see your possibility of ranking up. So Ultimate-class isn't something you would consider out of reach?"

"Ah, well…I think that I would be able to reach it, however I don't know if I would be as strong as some of the strongest. I heard that some Ultimate-class devils could even be a threat to the current Maou."

"Yes, yes, of course! Ah, well, let's move on. The next question: who was it that trained you? Power like yours doesn't just come out of nowhere. Someone nearing Maou-class must have been trained by someone exceptional."

"Ah, well," I began before scratching my cheek. "Those who trained me would rather remain anonymous. It would bring a lot of attention onto them, don't you think?"

"Of course, of course. You aren't required to answer any of these questions, especially for such good reasons. Let's move on then. Ah! This one is a popular question. I'm not sure if you are aware, but the whole 'owned-pawn' incident was actually made public and caused quite a stir. Would you be able to answer how you were able to contract Evil Pieces to yourself?"

"I can't answer that since I don't know. I didn't even realize that they were my pieces until my childhood friend, Akeno, mentioned it to me a bit more than a year ago."

"I see…so you were unaware…Such a mystery. I'm sure that Maou Beelzebub-sama has already approached you to investigate?"

"He did. He didn't seem to find much, though. He might come back to try a few tests. I don't really understand scientist-types like Ajuka-sama, so I wouldn't be able to say much."

"No problem at all. The next question is…Ah! This one is one from one of those in the devil government. They wanted to ask: How will you take responsibility for the ruckus you've caused by attacking people like Raiser Phoenix-sama and Kokabiel for personal reasons?"

"Personal reasons? Kokabiel tried to kill the younger sister of a Maou and kill all of my friends."

"He added on that, according to the reports, you were to kill Kokabiel after he had injured several of your comrades. Because this was before the treaty, the Fallen Angels may have used that to refuse the summit."

I released a bit of my aura, not because I was annoyed with the interviewer, but because of those bastard higher-ups. Whether or not it causes trouble, I won't let others hurt those people who are precious to me.

"Listen here," I began, causing the interviewer to tense up more as she felt my aura increase. "I don't care if I make an entire faction my enemy. Not even a god. I won't let _anyone_ hurt the people I care about. If those old guys who care more about pride than lives want to go against me, then go ahead. I'm not going to bow my head to people who ask me to let my friends die."

I was glaring at the camera now and the interviewer seemed to break out in a cold sweat. I heard Rias sigh beside me and she placed a hand on my thigh to calm me down. I looked at her and she turned to look at the interviewer.

"I think that's enough questions, don't you think?" said Rias, receiving a nervous nod from the interviewer. We all left the room and I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

Ahh~…I caused Rias trouble again…

* * *

 ** _Sometime later…_**

The day of the match. We gathered at the clubroom late at night, everyone ready for a fight. Rias aside, the rest of us were a bit more pumped up than last time because we knew how this was really going to go.

We gathered around the magic circle and were transported to that same place as before. It was an enormous space with ruins that reminded me of the old Roman ruins you see in historical shows. It was also not where the Rating Game was supposed to be held.

"…What's going on here?" asked Rias, aloud. She looked around, suspicious and on edge. The others and I tried to react like we were surprised and then moved into battle stations.

Suddenly, a magic circle appears a short distance away from us in the clearing. It had the symbol of Astaroth on it and Diodora appeared a moment later. Before we could say anything, dozens of magic circles appeared surrounding us, all of them with strange symbols from different devil houses.

"They're not from the Astaroth household," muttered Kiba under his breath. He seemed to be answering Rias' silent question since she hummed in agreement.

Rias became serious now and began releasing some of her aura.

"They're all devils who've defected to the Khaos Brigade. I believe they called themselves the Old-Maou faction," said Rias, irritated.

"The blood relative to that annoying fake!" shouted one of the hundreds of devils.

"We'll ensure your demise today, little girl!" shouted another.

Some of the devils began releasing demonic power as if to prepare an attack. I began releasing some of my aura to protect Rias and the others when I tensed up. I turned to where Asia was, but was a split second late. She fell through a magic circle and disappeared, reappearing next to Diodora who had grabbed onto her.

"Asia!" shouted Rias and Xenovia.

"I'll be leaving with Asia now, Rias Gremory and Sekiryuutei. I hope you'll enjoy the company of my fellow comrades," said Diodora, grinning at me. I glared at him and immediately equipped my armor. I launched myself across the opening at high speed without making a sound and he jumped in surprise. The distance was too great, though, and he had just enough time to teleport away with Asia before I could reach them.

"Tch!" I was pissed. I let that bastard touch her after I said I wouldn't.

"Die, worthless low-class devil!" shouted a devil who came at me with a sword. Out of frustration, I smacked him away harder than I should have. He crashed through a group of devils and blew them all away, smashing the ground where he landed. The devils around me were surprised, but I ignored them and walked back to Rias and the others.

"Buchou," I began. "I'll be off to save Asia. Kiba, Xenovia, and the rest: stay safe."

"Issei, what are you…?" began Rias. I released my mask and looked over at Rias with a fake smile.

"Buchou, I hope it doesn't cause you too much trouble, if I kill that bastard."

Rias' expression changed a bit when I said that. I guess she didn't realize how much my comrades mean to me.

I teleported after Diodora without saying anything else.

Here I come, you bastardddddd!

* * *

 _ **So? What did you guys think?**_

 _ **I feel like I made Issei a little OOC this chapter with how violent he got over Diodora. Maybe it's just me but I feel like Diodora, and also Shalba, are pretty hated by Ise since they both were a part of almost killing Asia (as well as her suffering after being excommunicated) as well Shalba's involvement in literally killing Ise. I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy.**_

 ** _Anyways, I've seen some Reviews about how people think I've completely changed Ise's character and, although I do agree in most cases, do remember that Ise has had a very different life these past 11 years. Mentally, he's in his late 20s, even if his body isn't there yet. It wouldn't be surprising if he toned down on expressing his perversion._**

 ** _Anyways, remember to Review to let me know what you think on the story and please do try to be specific so I can continue improving!_**

 ** _Next chapter should (hopefully...) be out by sometime late next week since I have spring break._**

 ** _Until next time...byeee :D_**


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